Balanced In Shadows
by Gypsy Druid
Summary: Betrayed by The Powers, Buffy walks away from her ‘duty’, and gets a new, destiny-free life in a new dimension, where the ‘Eternal Battle’ is fought by others. But when things heat up, will she be able to remain neutral, or will she be drawn back in? B/SW
1. Prologue

Balanced in Shadows

**Disclaimers: **I own nothing and no one. Therefore, no profit has been or will ever be made from this story. 'Nuff said.

**Spoilers: **None that I'm aware of. Takes places a few years after the Buffy Season Finale 'Chosen', and set in between Star Wars Episodes II & III. All Star Wars related info was pulled from Wookipedia, the Star Wars Wiki.

**Rating: **FR 21

**Pairing:** Buffy/Shar (OC)/Koyi (OC)

**Summary:** Betrayed by the Powers, Buffy walks away from her 'duty', and gets a new, destiny-free life, in a new dimension, where the 'Eternal Battle' is fought by others. But, when things heat up, will she be able to remain neutral, or will she be drawn back in?

Anything I've missed (disclaimer related) I can't think of it at the moment, but it still applies.

Thanks to everyone who volunteered to be my beta-readers. I really needed you guys.

Special Thanks to IceFlame55 & Bill Gopher. They're always there to help out whenever I've run into the proverbial brick-walls.

Prologue

Buffy looked around in confusion. The last thing she remembered was collapsing in bed after the surprise birthday celebration with the Scoobies, who had arrived on her doorstep from their respective stations around the world. She was turning twenty-five next weekend, and with her history of birthdays, they wanted to mark the occasion before the actual birthday, in hopes that they could break that particular cycle.

So, how did she go from her home in Rome to a desert in the middle of nowhere?

"Hey Slayer," a familiar voice said from behind her.

"Whistler," she said flatly, tensing as she turned around to face him. Her eyes widened in surprise. The Balance Demon looked like someone had worked him over really, really hard. "What happened to you?"

"Just a little disagreement," he shrugged. "I've come with good news and bad news, kid."

The uneasy feeling that had been building in the pit of her stomach grew exponentially. "Okay?"

"the Powers are happy with what you've done. The Balance is even more stable now with so many Slayers. By activating the Potentials, the Red Witch has done something that the Powers wanted, especially since the demon count has risen to such an extent, but couldn't do themselves since they were forbidden to interfere at such a level again. The spell is beginning to taper off, however. The Balance cannot handle more than a hundred or so such Champions at a time, so that is where the numbers will siphon off."

Buffy put her fingers to her temples. "Please tell me that was the bad news."

"Unfortunately, no. A member of a group called Circle of the Black Thorn is cooking up something huge. the Powers have tried block him, but Cyvus Vail has managed to breach the barriers between dimensions in an attempt to gain more power. If he succeeds, none of our Champions will be able to stand against him and it is possible that he would be powerful enough to challenge even the Powers and their Counterparts. Only the willing sacrifice of the life of a true Champion will be able to seal the breach."

Buffy's eyes closed at the news. Of all the Champions, why did they always have to pick her? A part of Buffy rejoiced at the news, though. Finally, she could go back. "At least I'll have time to make plans this time."

Uncharacteristically, Whistler looked away and sighed heavily, correctly reading the brief look of relief that had quickly crossed her face. "If you do this, you can't go back."

Dread began to trickle down her spine. "What?"

He swallowed convulsively, wishing he didn't have to destroy her like this. And he knew that this would destroy her. "By the nature of the spell the witch used, you are barred from True Death. Your soul is immortal. Your body will heal from virtually any wound. If it's something that you can't heal from, like beheading, then you'll simply be reborn."

As Buffy stared at him in disbelief and depthless pain, another figure appeared.

"Tell her all of it!" The figure said hotly. "Tell her the truth, Voice of the Powers. She has the right to know just how deep the betrayal goes."

A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of the stranger, and Whistler tilted his head as if he were listening to something. "This is not your concern. The Slayers are the Champions of the Powers."

"Not this one," the stranger shot back. "And well aware of that, you all are. Her destiny was fulfilled when she died at the hands of the Master. You managed to regain control of her new destiny when she was revived, but even that destiny was fulfilled when she defeated Glorificus. You allowed the witch to tear her from her rest as punishment for not sacrificing the Key as you decreed she should have, knowing full well the consequences of the spell, and all because your egos were bruised when she refused to run in your harness."

Buffy was pale and shaking as she listened. Whistler took a few steps back, knowing full well how volatile this particular Slayer was when pushed. He knew that when she got over her shock, she'd try damn hard to see exactly what he was made of, and not in a good way.

"What…" Buffy swallowed convulsively. "What do you mean?"

"Without knowing it, you have managed to defy the Powers from the very beginning," the stranger told her. "You fell in love with a vampire, your natural enemy and prey. You allow demons to live in peace as long as they do not harm others; you bring your world to the attention of mere humans, therefore introducing elements that they cannot control; and other things. When you refused to destroy the Key after discovering the truth, the Powers decreed that they had washed their proverbial hands of you. They could not bar you from your Final Rest when you died, that is guaranteed from the moment you are Called, but they allowed the witch's power to drag you out of it." He turned his attention back to Whistler. "You turned your collective backs on her and her friends until the battle against The Emissary known as The First Evil, and only then because of the threat to the Slayer Line. Then, when she refused the offer of the Shadow Men, and thereby strengthened the Slayer Line, you decided that she needed to be punished and to be made an example. You know that-"

"Stop!" Buffy shouted. Both the stranger and Whistler instantly shut up and turned to her. Her face was streaked with tears and twisted in pain. Her gaze was horrified and tortured when she turned it on the Balance Demon. "Is it true?"

He couldn't force himself to answer, but the way he couldn't meet her eyes fairly screamed it for him anyway.

"You bastards!" With a cry of rage, Buffy threw herself at him, only to bounce off some sort of invisible barrier.

"Please, Chosen One, do not take your fury out on him." The stranger said from behind her. "He looks as battered as he does because he tried to intervene on your behalf, and the Powers did not take kindly to the supposed criticism.

"What was the plan, Whistler?" Buffy asked hoarsely. "What were they going to do with me since I can't stay dead? If they sent you to actually tell me what's coming, then they obviously had something in mind."

Whistler's eyes were sad when he forced himself to finally look at her again. "Each time you died, you would be sent to another dimension where your 'skills' were needed."

If possible, she looked even more betrayed. Finally, she turned away from him, and looked at the stranger. "So, who are you, and what do you want with me?"

"I have no name," the stranger answered. "I am a physical construct, an 'emissary', much like Whistler here. I was formed for this purpose, to offer you a place in my dimension, a dimension not governed by the Powers that govern this one."

"What's the catch?" Buffy asked tiredly.

"You will still be a Champion." The stranger admitted. "But you will not be the Chosen One. You will be called upon rarely, and even then, only in times of extreme need. Finally, when you are ready to truly rest, your essence will join the Force, as all are, until such a time, of your own choosing, that you wish to retake physical form. Beyond those times, you will not be required to fight, if you do not wish. The warriors of both sides are more than proficient at keeping the Balance. Light has triumphed over the Darkness, and they have enjoyed their time of happiness and prosperity, but it now time for the Darkness to rise once again, and reset the scales."

"Still haven't told me what any of this has to do with me," Buffy said flatly. "Why should I go with you?

"Your answer will make no difference in the outcome of the events taking place. It is merely another option for you to choose from." The stranger shrugged. "I will give you time to consider and return for your answer at the moment of your death. For now, however, it is time for you to wake up."

They watched as Buffy disappeared as she awoke. She would remember everything that had just taken place.

"Thank you for not telling her." Whistler said softly, regretfully.

"I would have, had she had not stopped me." The Emissary told him. "Afterwards, there seemed no point in causing her more pain. She will be told eventually."

"Out of all of them, she's the last one this should have been done to," Whistler lamented, sitting on the ground. "In all the centuries, she's the first to last this long. Her obligation to the Powers would have been done when she turned 25, but they just had to find that loophole. If they had managed to get her off this world before her birthday, then she would never know that she'd been released and, as long as they kept her physically out of this dimension, neither would Mother Earth."

"I will be taking this up with the Creator," the Emissary said. "You know that they cannot be allowed to do this, especially since it is now likely that more girls will live longer. Mother Earth allowed the Powers to use her children under the stipulation that they be released after 10 years of service. After surviving endless battles for so long, they deserve to be freed. Even our Champions are allowed to retire if and when they wish. What the Powers are doing to their champions is wrong, and they must be either curtailed, or they must be stopped, and we are not the only ones that thinks this."

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

"Yo, B, what's up?" Faith asked. She could feel the rage and sense of betrayal radiating hotly through their Slayer connection, something that she hadn't felt since she'd joined up with the Mayor. A connection that they had been quick to realize that they didn't share with the Slayers that had been 'activated' by Willow's spell. They could feel the others, but there was no sense of connection like between the Chosen Two.

"I want to wait for the others, so I only have to tell it once." Buffy said, glancing up at her briefly.

Faith's breath caught at the amber glow in the elder Slayer's eyes. She knew what that was. She'd seen it in her own eyes more than once, usually after a hard night of fighting and fucking, but she never expected to see it in her counterpart. B had way to much control to let the Slayer that close to the surface. She couldn't think of what had possibly pissed the other girl off this much. They'd had a great time last night, nothing attacked them, and no one called about an apocalypse in the works. So what happened?

Taking in the dangerous look in the other girl's eyes, Faith's survival instinct overruled her mouth for once, and she merely nodded without pushing further and poured herself a cup of coffee. One by one, the others awoke and joined them. Each of them knew, the moment that they saw Buffy, that something was seriously wrong.

"Buffy, what's wrong?" Willow asked.

Buffy looked around at the people that she loved. Through their ups and downs, the laughter and the anger and occasional betrayals, this was her family. She had spent the morning since she'd awoken from the Slayer dream working out what she was going to say, the words that she was going to use to fend off the arguments they would have and explain why she couldn't come back from this one.

"Whistler came to me in a Slayer dream last night," she began quietly. She turned to her mentor. "Giles, have you ever heard of the Circle of the Black Thorn?"

Giles' eyes widened as he nodded. "They are a group of mortals, mostly sorcerers, dedicated to gaining power, no matter the source or consequence. How do you know of them?"

"It seems that one of them has decided to look for his power in someone else's back yard. Whistler said that his name was Cyvus Vail."

Giles immediately pulled his glasses off and began polishing them agitatedly.

"He's breached the barriers between dimensions, and only the willing sacrifice of the life of a true Champion can seal it again."

Giles' 'Dear Lord' coincided with Willow and Dawn's 'Oh my God', Xander's 'Oh shit!' and Faith's 'What the fuck does that mean?'

Buffy waited for the exclamations to die down and answered her Slayer sister. "It means that I'm going to have to die again to stop this."

"Why you?" Dawn demanded. "Why does it have to be you?"

Buffy sighed deeply, knowing that this was going to be hard for all of them. "It can't be Angel or Spike, because Whistler said that it has to be the willing sacrifice of the life of a true Champion. They're vampires, which means that they are already dead. It can't be any of the Slayerettes, either. They are champions, but they aren't Champions. With a capital C. Champions are Chosen by the Powers. They might have been one day, but we'll never know, since Willow activated them." For a moment, she wondered if any of what she'd just said was true. It didn't matter, however. She knew that she'd never let one of those unsuspecting girls take on such a burden.

"What about me?" Faith asked suddenly. "Better me than you. The future would be better off in your hands than mine, B."

"It has to be me because the Powers are gunning for me anyway, and they won't stop until I'm dead," Buffy finally admitted. Taking a deep breath, she told them everything. She told them how the Powers allowed Willow's resurrection spell to work, and the consequences of the spell. How, even if she died, she couldn't stay dead. She'd eventually return, over and over again, always fighting.

Willow and Dawn were devastated. Faith and Xander and Giles were dumbstruck. That the Powers would do something so despicable to one of their best was something that they just couldn't understand.

"All this is because of me!" Dawn cried, jumping to her feet.

Buffy jumped up as well and caught her in a tight hug just before she bolted. "No, Dawn! NO! This is not your fault. None of it. It was my choice, and I'd do it again, even if I knew all of this would happen. I told you then, and I'll tell you now. The minute they put you in that body and inserted you into our lives, you became my baby sister, and that makes you the most important person in the world to me. It doesn't matter what they thought, or assumed, or decreed."

She let Dawn cry into her shoulder even as she turned them so that she could face her best friend. "This isn't your fault either, Will. You did what you did because you were trying to save me. If the Powers hadn't allowed it, the spell wouldn't have worked at all. That makes this their fault, not yours. Understand? They let this happen, and then they turned their backs on us. All of us. They were going to just stand by and watch until The First threatened the Slayer Line. Then they had to act."

"What did they do?" Xander demanded furiously. "We did all the work and all the dying!"

"I have no idea." Dawn had finally calmed down enough that Buffy could sit them both down. "The one that told me all of this didn't get that far. I wouldn't have believed any of it, but Whistler confirmed it all. Apparently, he'd been getting his ass kicked by them because he was trying to intervene on my behalf, to get them to lighten up. He was beat up pretty badly."

"So, what are you going to do?" Faith asked, subdued. If the Powers would do that to little Miss 'Greatest Slayer Ever Lived', what were they going to do to her?

"I think I'm going to accept the offer." Buffy announced. She waited for their denials to die down. "the Powers were going to take me away anyway. They were going to let me die, and move me somewhere else, using me to fight for the rest of my existence. At least with this new guy, I don't have to. I'm finished with all of this. This is the fucking last straw. I love you guys, and maybe you'll figure out some way to get a message to me or something, but I'm not coming back after this."

No one said anything at her furious words. They could tell that the Powers had finally pushed Buffy too far with their manipulations. There was a dark undertone of fury and something very close to hate in her voice, even when she was comforting her sister and best friend. It sent shivers down their spines.

For Giles, the longer he thought about it, the more relieved he became, that she was going somewhere else. Not because he no longer wanted her with them, but because he felt that these actions, by the very ones on whose behalf Buffy had spent the better part of her life fighting, would at some point send her willingly into the Darkness.

Faith considered the other Slayer; she was surprised that B hadn't snapped before now. It had taken her a long time to realize that Champions, the ones with the capital C, usually got fucked up the ass when it came to their lives. After all, who'd waste their time trying to save the world when everything's all good on the home front? Folks like that don't mind looking through the red shades and pretending that everybody's lives are just as perfect as theirs. According to Angel, every Champion cracks under the stress at least once. Hell, she'd done it, and she'd only been a Slayer for less than a year at the time. The closest B had come to it, Angel told her, was when she'd turned to Spike after being torn out of heaven. Now, to find out that, not only do you have to deal with the usual shit, you got the bosses gunning for your ass too. No wonder she was giving the Powers the big 'Fuck You'.

**A/N: The 'red shades' that Faith mentions refers to 'rose-colored glasses', a term where everything a person looks at is perfectly fine.**


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One

Buffy lay back on her bed, idly twining her fingers in the white hair of her lover. She knew that she needed to get some sleep, but she was too hyped up about tomorrow's race. It was her last race. The day after tomorrow, she and her lover, Sharael, would be leaving the planet. She had been in this dimension for almost ten years, and it had been quite an adjustment. As her mind wandered, she thought about how she had gotten to this point.

– _**Flashback –**_

It had only been a few days after that fateful dream when Buffy and the Scoobies discovered where Cyvus Vail was breaching the dimensional barrier, hidden from the other members of the Circle of the Black Thorn, and the spell that would seal the breach. It had been obvious by the uncommon swiftness of their discovery that the Powers had helped them extensively. Buffy assumed that, though their plans had been thwarted, they couldn't afford to let Vail continue even if they _had_ wanted to try something else to keep Buffy under their control.

The Scoobies had taken all of the Sunnydale survivors for the battle. Vail had been around for centuries, and apparently had his own army of demons, outside of what his cohorts knew about. It seemed that he was trying to gain enough power to overthrow the Archduke for leadership, and possibly even enough to challenge the Powers' counterparts who posed in this dimension as The Senior Partners of the infamous law firm, Wolfram & Hart.

Willow had stayed close to Buffy as the Slayer fought through the hordes in her way with a savagery that they had never seen from her before. Faith and Xander covered their backs and the slayerettes hacked and slashed at anything that wasn't a friend. As soon as they reached Vail's shields, Buffy, Faith and Xander protected their witch as she drew in as much energy from the Earth beneath her and struggled to punch through the powerful wards. She grabbed Buffy and pulled her through the moment she did it, even as the wards resealed themselves.

Buffy was glad that they had all said their goodbyes the night before. It took everything ounce of concentration to face off against Vail as Willow performed the intricate spell that would seal the breach. Even though he did not fight often, after living for several centuries, he turned out to be a pretty capable fighter. Finally, she landed what even she recognized as a lucky shot. It was a serious blow that sliced open a deep gash in his side. Unwilling to risk his life for the endeavor, the sorcerer glared at her venomously and, with a few muttered words, vanished in a puff of black smoke. His shields went with him, and Buffy quickly found herself protecting the witch once more from the demons that made it past Faith and the others. Soon after, Willow informed Buffy that it was time.

As she took a deep, bracing breath and moved over to the breach, she made the mistake of glancing at the witch as she passed. Her heart clenched at the tears in Willow's eyes. Swallowing hard, she stepped up to Willow and engulfed her best friend in a fierce hug. She felt a tug on the connection to Faith and looked over Willow's shoulder to see the Dark Slayer raise the scythe to her briefly in tribute and farewell.

Nodding at Faith, she kissed the sobbing redhead's cheek and spoke softly, knowing that despite her preoccupation, Faith could hear her clearly. "I love you guys. Take care of each other."

She pulled away and backed towards the breach. Just before entering, she suddenly smiled. "Make sure Dawnie graduates with Honors, and Faith takes at least some college courses now that she's finished her GED. When you finally manage to contact me, I want to see proof."

For Buffy, time seemed to stop the moment she stepped into the breach. Whistler and the Emissary appeared before her. "Have you made your decision?"

Buffy nodded, her anger stirring again at the sight of Whistler. She looked at the Emissary. "I will go with you." Whistler nodded and, with an oddly regretful smile, disappeared. "I'm worried about the others, though. After all of this, I wouldn't put it past the Powers to target them once I'm out of their reach."

"For the most part, the Powers have no jurisdiction in the lives of your family, other than the last of the Chosen." The Emissary assured her. "They have been put on notice in regards to their handling of her. They are being closely watched. Regardless, they cannot bar her from her Final Rest when she dies."

"Good." Buffy sighed in relief. "They've got enough to worry about." She took a deep breath and released it slowly. "Let's go then."

The first few months had been difficult. When she opened her eyes in her new universe, she found herself in a strange place, small and cramped, immediately setting off the claustrophobia she had suffered from since waking up in her coffin. Before the panic attack could start, however, she swayed slightly as information flooded her mind. Rudimentary knowledge of her new home. Knowledge of the Republic and the Senate, the Core Worlds, Mid and Outer Rim, the Jedi, the Sith, the Light and Dark Side of the Force, and something called midi-chlorians. She also found out that her abilities would be released to her slowly, until she had gotten the worst of her anger controlled, and that she instinctively knew how to suppress her power, a rare ability called _Qey'tek_ that usually required intense meditations.

'**Welcome, Ms. Summers.'**

Buffy's eyes popped open, and she looked around the too small room until she saw the tiny moving 'image' or something of the Emissary that had brought her here.

'**This is called a holocron. It is used for a variety of things, but in this instance it will be used to train you to control your new powers. The 'essence of demon' that makes you a slayer has been altered into Midi-chlorians, microscopic lifeforms that connect you to the energy of life here commonly known as The Force. The physical form that had been previously granted to me was made up of those lifeforms, but now I exist in this holocron. For me to have a physical form would draw the attention of every Force user in the known and unknown galaxies, and you are not ready. The more midi-chlorians a person has, the more that person can influence the Force. Everything that lives in this universe has a midi-chlorians count. For the majority, this count is relatively small, only a few thousand, but for some, it is much higher. The 'Chosen One' of this universe has the highest count. When it was time for him to be born, a significant amount of the lifeforms converged within a woman's womb, essentially 'fathering' the child, for lack of a better term. Because of how much you evolved over the years as a Slayer, you are naturally quite a bit stronger, and control is essential. The first thing that you must understand is that your power is directly tied to your emotions, especially intense emotions. You must always remember that dark emotions can corrupt your use of the Force.**

"**Your power was rooted in darkness, and I cannot change the nature of that. Because of the rage in your heart when you 'transitioned' into the Force, you **_**will**_** tend to lean more towards the Dark Side of the Force. However, your heart and soul have always been firmly rooted in the Light, so I think you will be an interesting blend when you are fully trained."**

Buffy shrugged, not really concerned. She had learned a long time ago that power was power. It was the intent behind the power that usually made all the difference. The form of the Emissary smiled, then pointed to a port window.

"**I have placed you in an escape pod that will soon land on the planet Taris. Until you are more trained, in control and comfortable with your new life, I believe that it will be in your best interest to remain in the Outer Rim, out of easy reach of either the Jedi or the Sith, who are both focused on the Core Worlds at the moment. On Taris, you can learn of the Jedi and the Sith, as both have controlled the planet at one time or another, and there are opportunities to work through your anger in both the Lower City and the Undercity, where there are those that need protection and those that love to pick fights for no reason. The Voice has informed me that you tend towards extreme violence when you are upset."**

The form flickered, before firming once again. **"Oh, one more thing. The essence that created the Slayer has changed, but the Slayer is not gone. In the terms of your people, she is a separate entity of your own consciousness that grew from the essence. You will find, however, that you and that entity are now completely blended. Your instincts are a great deal more feral and predatory in nature than the average human. It is most intriguing."** With a slight smile, the image vanished.

Buffy sat back and considered that, but didn't see anything wrong with it. It had been getting harder and harder to keep the Slayer controlled in the last few years anyway. Trying to keep herself occupied, she searched the drawers in the pod. She threw a few items, including the holocron, into a knapsack. She examined the food capsules in bemusement for a moment before tossing them into a small pouch and into the knapsack as well.

There was turbulence as the pod entered the planet's atmosphere, and Buffy quickly sat down and strapped into the seat. She held on tightly to the seat's arms as the pod tumbled roughly into the Lower City. She didn't move for several long minutes after the pod finally stopped, hoping desperately that her stomach would stop churning.

She'd barely made it ten feet from the crashed pod before she was attacked by something, she later learned was a rakghoul, that had somehow managed to escape from the Undercity. It was an ugly little fight, and quickly drew attention of Lower City's inhabitants. There were few beings, and even fewer humans, that could defend against the savage creature, much less win against it. Unbelievably, the strange, petite, blonde female seemed to be doing just that.

After she finally killed the creature, Buffy immediately felt the stares of the people surrounding her. Amazingly, she quickly realized that she could actually feel their awe, curiosity, and their fear. She swept her fierce amber eyes over the crowd, and they shifted restlessly out of her way as she shifted her knapsack and moved off once again.

It wasn't long before she was joined by another. She glanced at him, but didn't stop.

"Our thanks, stranger," the man said. "That thing was becoming a nuisance."

– _**End Flashback –**_

That had been the beginning of her life here in this strange new dimension. She had stayed on Taris for the first few years. She worked through her anger and flares of rage by protecting the people of Lower City from the swoop gangs and occasional monsters that attacked, and made her credits swoop racing. She still had the first lodgings that she had bought on the planet. It had taken her a while to get used to being fully blended with the Slayer. Her strength and senses were jacked up to a ridiculous degree, and she reacted to external stimuli much differently. Her predator's instincts had also sharpened extremely, and her eyes had permanently changed color.

Once she had exorcised the worst of her anger, the Emissary began her training in the ways of the Force. She picked up the basics with surprising ease, as well as the offensive and defensive skills. There were some that she considered a waste of time, and knew that she would rarely, if ever, use, and others that she would rather die before using again.

She also thought about her 'mission', the main reason the Emissary offered her the opportunity to come here. Somewhere on the other side of the galaxy, a young man, this dimension's 'Chosen One', was starting down a path of Darkness. He would bring Balance, but not in the way the ones who taught him had considered. His destiny was to hold open the doors that would let the Darkness back into their happy existence.

Her 'mission' was to intervene before he was too far down that path to turn back before his entire life was destroyed because of it. The Emissary had told her that, while success would be greatly appreciated, it would not change the course of what was to come. If she failed now, he would return to the side of Light later in the future, just before he died. That really wasn't an option in her mind. In her dreams, she had watched his progression, both in his training as a Jedi, and his beginning as a Sith apprentice. She had checked on him in person periodically over the years as well, wanting to get a 'feel' for him. He was a lost little boy who had too many bad things happen to him in rapid succession. Those idiot Jedi were telling him that he has to suppress his emotions, but emotions aren't meant to be suppressed, especially in humans, and his were too powerful. They should have been teaching him to control his emotions, to use them to his advantage. Instead, they left him wide open to the Big Bad's manipulations.

She knew where the point of no return would be. Sometime in the near future, his new 'Master' would send him to kill the Jedi, even the younglings not old enough to be Padawans. That would be 'fork in the road'. She knew that he was doing it all because of his fear of losing his wife, but if he did that, if he murdered those defenseless, trusting children, he would lose her anyway. Once she found out, she would either leave him, or she would accept what he had done, and succumb to the Darkness herself.

She knew what the boy feared. However, she also knew that it was only one _possible_ future outcome. What the boy didn't see in his dreams was that Padmé's death in childbirth was not due to complications, but was caused by heartbreak and depression after seeing husband's Dark Side with her own eyes. Being attacked by her beloved hadn't helped matters either. She had simply lost hope at the worst possible moment. In truth, the path that Anakin Skywalker was walking was leading him directly to the future that he was trying so desperately to avoid.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Are you sure you want to go with me, Shar?" Buffy asked as she watched her lover stretch languidly. She loved looking at the other woman. Everything about her was like an explosion of contrasting colors to Buffy's eyes. Sharael had blue skin, stark white hair, and gold eyes. She had Faith's wildness and Willow's smarts. To Buffy, she was perfect. "I'm about to jump head-first into a shitload of trouble."

She'd been attracted to the exotic looking woman from the first time she'd seen her. The first time she laid eyes on the woman, from a distance, no less, her mind had been bombarded with images of the two of them in the most erotic positions. She didn't know if it had been due to the battle lust that had been flowing hotly through her veins at the time, or one of those Force Visions that the Emissary had told her about.

She had been restless and traveling through the different Rims, planet-hopping mostly, when she'd heard that the gladiator fights in Nar Shaddaa were immensely profitable. In the mood for a few good fights, and needing to replenish her cashflow, she'd pocketed a good amount of various currency that she had left and made for one of the outer pits. By the end of the day, she'd tripled her profits, and a few days later, she had a small fortune in every currency she had started off with. She had been drinking in a bar after her latest fight when Shar had walked in, wearing a diaphanous outfit that left nothing to Buffy's suddenly very vivid imagination.

Since her arrival in this universe, she had taken both male and female lovers, and it had been more than six months since her last bedmate. She'd bought the beautiful woman her drink, and spent an entertaining night on Buffy's ship afterwards, right up until it was time for her next match. With every taking, she felt the Slayer in her whispering in her mind,_ mate_. They had gotten together several more times before Buffy discovered that Shar was a slave. Not that it had mattered. As much as she abhorred the concept of one person owning another, she'd had to accept that slavery was a way of life in this dimension. However, people quickly learned not to abuse their slaves in her presence.

She'd been walking back to her ship after collecting her winnings from the last fight, wondering if she'd collected enough to maybe buy Shar from her owner, when she'd been brought up short by a terrible sensation in the pit of her stomach. Shoving the credit chip into her bag, she allowed the feeling to lead her to one of the more upscale arenas.

And almost lost it when she saw Shar being beaten with a vibrowhip. A Force blast sent the whip wielder flying across the room. After heated words were exchanged, Buffy challenged Shar's owner to a gladiator fight. She kept the terms simple: if she won, she'd take everything he had of value that he'd brought with him to the planet; if she lost, she'd give him all the winnings she'd already won and all the winnings she would win until she left the planet. He'd been reluctant at first, until Buffy had shown him just how much she'd earned in the little time she'd been there. There was something about her gender and size that made people instinctively bet against her, regardless of the fact that she was currently undefeated.

Sharael was a spacer. A star-hopper who tended to amuse herself with the occasional smuggling operations. She had been double-crossed by her last 'supplier' and had been taken as a slave as repayment. Shar's owner was a Trandoshan, a reptilian species that she hadn't encountered before, towered over her by almost three feet, and was currently undefeated himself. Word spread quickly, and the wagers flew fast and furious. Buffy didn't play with him at all. With the Slayer screaming her rage inside her mind, it took her barely ten minutes to leave the reptilian gladiator barely breathing.

Leaving him in the middle of the arena, she turned a feral glare on his servants and demanded the location of her new vessel, knowing that it would have a better medical supply than her own ship. Then she picked up her bloody lover and strode away without a backward glance. After everything had been delivered, and her things transferred to her new ship, a modified Baudo-class star yacht that had previously been Sharael's in the first place, she cashed in her credit chips and broke orbit, heading back into space. The moment the ship entered hyperspace, Buffy returned to the infirmary and snapped the slave collar off Shar's neck as the medical droid worked on her. They'd been together ever since.

"Oh, I'm sure." Sharael said with a grin. "You know how much I love getting into trouble. Besides, that crazy bitch is still out there somewhere, and so are the people who sent her." She rolled out of bed and to her feet, and Buffy felt her arousal flare to life. "You can't even trust the Jedi. They always seem like they want to attack you."

"That's because they do." Buffy said absently as the lush woman passed by close enough for her to smell her lover's skin. She felt her ever-present arousal flare as she watched Sharael's firm ass move down the corridor. "Jedi conditioning. They are reacting to the darkness of the Slayer inside of me."

– _**Flashback –**_

Several years ago, as Buffy was returned to the ship after delivering a bounty on some desert-like planet that she couldn't remember the name of, she had been 'approached' to join the Sith. As soon as she'd felt the dark power closing in on her, she'd contacted Shar to start the engines. If what she suspected was about to happen, she didn't want to stick around afterwards.

After she was a safe distance away from the small community, Buffy leaned against a convenient boulder and waited. The woman was bald with odd markings on her face. She was slender, but Buffy could sense the wiry strength in her. Her control of the Force was impressive, but she was filled with unfocused anger, and Buffy could clearly sense the dark taint of the influence it had over the Force. This, Buffy realized, was what Skywalker was headed for.

"My Master, Darth Tyranus, has felt your presence in the Force," the woman said pompously. "He has sensed your power and your anger, and feels that you would be a great asset to us."

Buffy's amber colored eyes narrowed as the woman eyes raked over her contemptuously. She smiled coldly. "That's good and all, but I don't think so. I'm just passing through. I have no interest in you, your 'Master', or the nice little takeover you people have got brewing."

The woman put her hand on the lightsaber at her hip. "I believe that you misunderstand. My Master wants you, therefore, you will go. Whether you are conscious at the time or not, he did not specify."

Buffy's brow rose. "And you think you're the person that's gonna pull that off?"

She could almost hear the woman grinding her teeth in rage. In a furious move, she whipped up her lightsaber and activated it, pointing it at the insolent little human. Buffy smirked at her, and without so much as a twitch to give away her intentions, she used the Force to snatch the saber out of the woman's hand and into her own.

"Somehow, I don't think so," Buffy sneered, then tightened her grip on the weapon when the woman tried to 'snatch' it back. "You're going to have to do better than that."

With a scream of rage, the woman leapt at her, activating a second lightsaber as she swung it at Buffy's head. Buffy blocked the strike with her specially made gauntlet and thrust the palm of her hand into the woman's chest, and sending the woman flying several feet back. With an almost negligent flick of her wrist, Buffy tossed the lightsaber back at her. "Here. Looks like you're gonna need this after all."

With a shriek, the woman came at her with both lightsabers, swinging them in furious, lightning-fast strikes. The Slayer evaded and blocked with her gauntlets, grinning wildly as the woman's anger surged exponentially.

Finally, Buffy had enough playing around. Blocking one saber strike with her gauntlet, her hand flashed to the hilt over her shoulder and sparks flew as the other lightsaber struck her sword. Buffy was enjoying herself immensely. The woman was very quick, with her natural speed enhanced in bursts by her Force abilities. However, Buffy was faster, and kept her much too occupied to concentrate on anything but the fight at hand. After a bit, Buffy kicked her away, and noticed that the woman was so exhausted that she could barely lift her weapons.

"How?!?" She demanded, panting harshly.

"A healthy bank account and all the right contacts." Buffy told her with a shrug and a smirk. "Oh, and a little augmenting on the side. Ask your Master. Doesn't he teach you anything useful?"

When it looked as though the woman was going to attack again, Buffy wrapped her up in a Force stasis field. She blurred the woman's memory of the fight, not yet ready to be outed to the ones the woman worked for, then put her mind to sleep. She quickly returned to the ship. After a quick hyperspace jump, she slapped the button for the autopilot and pulled Shar to her in a heated kiss.

– _**End Flashback –**_

"Things are going to start to move fast now," Buffy said even as she followed her lover into the bathroom, stripping out of her clothes. Stepping into the shower behind the blue-skinned woman, she kissed the back of her neck as her hands moved to cup her breasts. "We have to pick up Koyi, stop off at home to restock on supplies, and then we're heading for the Core Worlds."

Shar merely hummed, in pleasure or agreement, Buffy wasn't sure. Buffy explored the slick, smooth skin with fingers, lips and tongue, until her lover was undulating restlessly against her as she nipped playfully at the crease of her thigh.

"Baby, please." Shar whimpered, tangling one hand in the wet blonde hair between her legs and bracing the other against the wall as her whole body quivered. She lifted one leg to drape it over the kneeling woman's shoulder and tried to push Buffy's face where she desperately needed it to be, but the Slayer resisted.

"Tell me what you want," Buffy said, breathing deeply, drawing the scent of her mate's need into her very being.

"Eat me," Shar growled, her fingers tightening in her lover's hair to tilt her head back so that she could look down into blazing hot eyes. Raised on a planet where physical pleasure was a way of life, she was _not_ shy about sex. "Fuck me with your mouth."

The fierce amber gaze burned hotter, holding her own helplessly captive, as Buffy's head dipped, and she ran her tongue up the length of her mate's sex. Shar's eyes broke contact and rolled back into her head as a sudden orgasm surged through her like a solar flare. Her inner muscles clamped down on the tongue that suddenly filled her. She did not have a clitoris like Buffy did. Instead, there were three small nodes of nerves evenly spaced down each of the lips of her sex that became more sensitive as she became more aroused.

It was quite some time before they made it off the planet.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

A week into the trip, Buffy awoke to find herself alone in bed. With a sigh, she rolled to her feet and slipped on a robe before going to look for her errant lover. She found Shar in the galley, dressed only in her robe and asleep at the table, surrounded by some device that she had taken apart. With a rueful chuckle, she lifted the taller woman in her arms and carried her to bed. Returning to the galley, she grabbed a drink, shaking her head at the mess Shar had made. It was amazing how much she reminded Buffy of Willow sometimes. She couldn't count the number of times she'd had to carry the redhead to bed after she'd fallen asleep in the middle of a personal project or researching the next Big Bad or something equally consuming. She settled in the pilot's seat and stared out at twinkling stars.

"Are you there?" Buffy said quietly, glancing at the silent holocron box.

The holographic image instantly formed. **'Naturally. You are having very deep thoughts for so early.'**

Buffy shrugged. "I've been thinking. Remembering mostly. Things are coming to a head."

**'Yes, they are.'**

"I was wondering about Shar and Koyi." Buffy looked at him curiously. "Did you guys arrange that?"

**'In the smallest of ways only.'** The Emissary smiled. **'You have a great champion in the Balance Demon. He impressed upon me that you, unlike most Champions, are not the type to stand alone. You require something 'tangible' to hold on to, to fight for. I led you to them because they are best suited to your 'altered' personality, they compliment you as did the humans that you bonded with before, but it is your own instincts that call them 'mate', and their choice to accept you as such. We do not influence the Will of any being.'**

Buffy nodded, oddly grateful to know that. "I've been feeling more and more restless lately. The darkness is growing, and it's spreading. I can actually _feel_ it infecting people."

**'You sense the corruption of the soul because it is the closest that we have to 'evil' in this dimension.'** The Emissary nodded, almost thoughtfully. **'You are unique. A Champion who has been directly touched by the Upper Beings, even if you do not remember it. This is the only reason that I am allowed such contact. The circumstances of your resurrection have made you even more unique. The Force is abundant in you, and growing in a way similar to how you would have evolved if you were still in your previous dimension.'**

"Oh, so that's why I feel like I'm more connected now than I was when I first arrived." Buffy realized. "So, I take it that that's not normal?"

**'No. Most find the extent of their strength within a few years of training, but your influence of the Force continues to grow. The type of human that you are, in regards to the dimension where you originated, has made your abilities with the Force a little different than others. You can do things unheard of with the Force, for instance your ability to connect with the sentient planets, and the experiences that you have gone through in your life have given you a level of control as yet unheard of.'**

They spoke for a bit longer, then Buffy's restlessness began to settle in. Even after all this time, she still had problem with enclosed spaces. She left him to go to her training room, one of the passenger cabins that had been stripped and appropriately altered. She went through a few Earth martial arts katas before going through several of her own training exercises. Finally worn out from her exertions, Buffy returned to the bedroom, stopping by the bathroom to rinse away the sweat, and chuckled at the sight of Sharael sprawled across the bed. She shifted the slack limbs so that she could climb in, but was not surprised when Sharael almost immediately wrapped around her. Snuggling back into the body behind her, Buffy smiled contentedly and drifted off to sleep.

A few days later, Sharael bounced in her seat as Buffy landed on the planet Yanibar.

"Will you calm down, Shar!" Buffy laughed. "You're like a hyper child on sugar crack."

"I can't help it," Sharael grinned. It wasn't the first time Buffy had said that to her. "It's been so long."

Buffy couldn't argue with that. They hadn't seen the third member of their little triad in over three months. Koyi had been training the other Zeison Sha warriors in advanced techniques that she had learned from Buffy, that had not been available to them before since they refused to interact with the Jedi Order. Buffy and Shar, not ones to sit idle for any considerable length of time, had gone out to partake on their favorite hobbies. Smuggling and bounty hunting.

It had been on one such job that the couple had discovered the homeworld of the Zieson Sha. One of Buffy's bounties had somehow managed to crash on Yanibar. By the time she had tracked him, he'd made a nuisance of himself and was already dead. Although she had been disappointed that she hadn't been able to kick his ass, since he'd been wanted for murdering the children of a nobleman on a planet somewhere in Mid Rim, she'd nevertheless felt better about the fact that he'd been beaten to death while attacking a small group of initiates. Unfortunately, the bounty had required that he be delivered alive to face execution so, after sending a message and the body back to her contact, she and Shar decided to stick around and see what they could learn of this Force-sensitive warrior culture that was nothing like the over-exalted Jedi. They spoke in Old Corellian, a language that Shar was already fluent in, and yet again, Buffy was glad of the Force power that allowed her to understand and speak these strange new languages almost instinctively. She'd have been lost otherwise. She barely passed French.

Similar to what had happened with Shar, Buffy had been immediately drawn to the warrior that had been assigned to work with them after Buffy had proven her worth to the Zeison Sha leader by defeating one of their best warriors, the very one assigned to them, in the sparring ring. A red-skinned Twi'lek with not two, but four lekku, the rarest of breeds, named Koyim'alor. Almost immediately, she heard the Slayer whispering inside her mind again. Holding her securely, keeping the warrior lying on her side with her arms immobilized behind her and her legs tangled up, it had taken every bit of self-control Buffy had to refrain from running her tongue over the lekkus twitching agitatedly, even though she was nearly grinning at the angry diatribe that she was sure the Twi'lek didn't think she understood. It didn't help at all that she could smell the other woman's arousal blending with her own.

They had stayed there for almost six months, learning the ways of the Zeison Sha, and teaching the some of the techniques that she knew of the Force that were usually only taught to the Jedi. She had spoken to the Elders of the Darker side of the Force, explaining in explicit detail the dangers of using the techniques without the proper mental and emotional control, and they had decided that they did not need to be taught such dangerous things.

Two months before Buffy had left to collect on the bounty of a particularly vicious serial killer, a bounty that she flat out refused to risk taking Shar with her, Koyi approached Buffy and made it clear that she wished to have Buffy in her bed. Highly amused, Buffy nevertheless informed the Twi'lek that if she wanted her, she had to take Shar as well. Not only had Koyi immediately accepted the stipulation, but she had automatically assumed that it would be so, and that had been the beginning of their relationship. When Buffy had gotten the communiqué of the bounty, Shar had demanded that, if she couldn't go with Buffy, then Koyi would. One of the few things that the former slave put her proverbial foot down on was her insistence that Buffy never go into a dangerous situation without one of them watching her back. She was brought out of her thoughts at Shar's excited exclamation.

"There she is!"

Looking out the front windows, they could see their tall Twi'lek lover standing at the platform connected to their hanger. If Shar was like one half of the Scoobies, Koyi was easily the other half. She had Xander's loyal heart and Giles' steadfast calmness and restraint. As soon as the ship was settled, Shar slapped the button to open the hatch and took off running. By the time the ship powered down, Shar was in Koyi's arms, legs around her waist, and kissing her fiercely, much to the amusement of the rest of their escort. When Buffy joined them, Shar leaned back so that Koyi could kiss her, but didn't get down. A portion of Buffy's mental restlessness settled as she felt the tele-empathic link between the three of them re-establish at the contact. It was another one of those 'unusual' developments of her powers.

"I received your message when I returned yesterday, _min larel,_" Koyi said. "Is it time then?"

"It's getting close," Buffy nodded. "Things are already heating up. Has Yledra made her decision?"

"She has, although she does wish to see you," a young woman answered, stepping up to the triad. "Hello Buffy."

"Ydanni!" Buffy hugged the woman, then stepped back to take in her warrior attire. "When did you take your trials, little sister?"

"Last month," Ydanni smiled proudly. "The meditation techniques that you taught us really helped. Mother has decided to incorporate them permanently into the training regimen."

"Cool!" Buffy grinned at her. "Well, let's go. We can talk on the way."

Ydanni waved her ahead. Koyi and Shar moved to flank her as she walked across the platform. Buffy talked with the various members of her escort, friends with them all, as they made their way to the village.

"Welcome back, _Selba_."

The smile that lit up Buffy's face was one that only Yledra managed to generate. The leader of the Zeison Sha had been the one to break through the ice that Buffy had encased herself in. She was like the mother that Buffy had lost so long ago. She had seen the rage in Buffy, the kind that she knew only came from a betrayal of life-altering immensity. It was the source of the flares of anger that had her seeking out gladiator challenges, and the dark moods that caused her to close herself off from the world, worrying those who cared and terrifying those who loved her. Yledra had slowly, patiently drawn her out. Subtly pushing until Buffy told her the whole story, from the first loss of blissfully innocent ignorance, to the last, ultimate betrayal. In the end, the leader of the Zeison Sha had pretty much informally adopted the blonde.

Just talking about it had been a major release, and Buffy was more grateful than the older woman would ever know. That stagnant, yet controlled hate that Buffy had held for the Powers had kept the Emissary from truly releasing his hold on the power within her. It had also kept a kind of barrier between her and the women that she had grown to love.

As Buffy hugged Yledra, she heard a sneering voice speak from behind the leader. "So, this is the wonder warrior that has everyone up in the stratosphere. Funny, I thought she'd be taller."


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

"_Droyk_." Yledra cursed as she felt Buffy stiffen in her arms.

Pulling back, Buffy looked up at the woman. Despite the fact that, even after almost forty years and two dimensions, comments about her height (or lack of it) still pissed her off. She had managed to learn to control her more obvious reactions to it. At least the more violent ones. The woman was human, and outfitted in the armor of a Zeison Sha warrior, but Buffy had never seen her before. "Yledra?"

"This is Sescia." Yledra introduced them with an air of resignation. "She has been away for many years. She had left shortly before your first visit to us."

_:We were rivals during training.:_ Koyi sent to her mentally. _:She challenged me and lost after an argument when we were young, and has been raging over it ever since. She has been trying to maneuver me into a situation where she can challenge me again, but I have managed to keep her at bay. Something is 'off' about her, as you would say.:_

Buffy focused on Sescia. _:Her influence is tainted, like the Skywalker boy. She's let her anger fester into hate. She's quickly descending into the Dark Side of the Force. Tell Yledra.:_

Buffy subtly directed Yledra's attention to Koyi. The leader was one of the few people who understood the language of the subtle movements of a Twi'lek's lekkus. As her mate relayed the information, Buffy spoke to the warrior. "Nice to meet you."

Sescia looked her up and down, her contempt clear in her fierce gaze. "Yledra, you would have me believe that this wisp of a girl has defeated some of our greatest warriors? I think the truth of the matter is that you have all gone soft."

"_Saltan valforamosa n telval mord._" Buffy said in a soft, steely voice, her eyes narrowed. "You would be well served to watch your mouth, before someone cuts out your tongue."

There was a moment of stunned silence before Sescia snarled back in response. "You should heed your own advice, _chumani_."

The people surrounding them gasped. Such an insult to a friend of the Zeison Sha was surely cause for a challenge. They were surprised, however, when all Buffy did was laugh disdainfully at her.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Sescia," Buffy said finally, her amber eyes cold as an ice planet. "I am not Zeison Sha. I have no intention of challenging you, and I have nothing to prove, to you or to anyone else." Buffy tilted her head, and let the Slayer peek out slightly. She smiled coldly at the brief moment of uncertainty in the other woman's eyes. "If you want to spar, you're going to have to ask me nicely."

She turned back to Yledra. "I didn't come here for this. We still have to go home to pick up the rest of our gear. Ydanni says that you've made a decision?"

Yledra glared at Sescia even as she answered. "Yes. The Zeison Sha will not be drawn into this war. The ways of the outsiders are of no concern of ours. However, if you should succeed in your mission, then those who survive will have safe haven on Yanibar if needed."

"That's perfect," Buffy nodded. "That was the last thing that I was really worried about. If I can pull this off, then they are going to need a safe place to hide until they can recover and regroup. Besides, even if any of the Masters survive, the Jedi will need to realize that the old ways are not working anymore. There may have been good reasons for the rules of the Jedi Order, but they are now causing more problems than they are solving, and if they weren't so pig-headed about following those stupid traditions, they'd already see that you've proven that fact."

"Stay the night," Yledra requested, breaking into Buffy's musings. "Even if you are in a hurry, one day will not matter. We have not seen you two in months, and I wish to know what you have been up to."

After quickly checking with her mates, Buffy accepted. Buffy followed Yledra to the eating hall while Koyi and Shar returned to the ship to grab a few things. Unfortunately, Sescia followed. "Where did you get the living ship? It is said that the planet disappeared into the Unknown Regions. It is most unusually shaped."

"It did," Buffy shrugged. "I tracked it down. I paid a hefty extra fee to have it designed exactly the way I wanted it. The ship builders protested, but the planet interceded on my behalf."

Buffy's ship, _Sineya_, was one of the living ships of Zonoma Sekot. It was shaped like one of the ships from her favorite television show back home, _Talyn_from _Farscape._ That little shit Andrew had gotten her hooked on it. Since he had been a living ship too, it just seemed right. It was also bigger than more personal crafts, due to her claustrophobia. She had enough room to live on the ship if she had to and not feel trapped. She had not exaggerated when she said that she'd paid a hefty fee. It had cost almost double the price, and still, it was only the planet's intercession that made the shipbuilders make her to Buffy's specifications. Buffy and the planet had sensed each other the moment Buffy's foot touched the land. Even now, she could sense it. If necessary, she could go straight there without actually having to track it down again. Most of everything she owned was made to her own specifications, especially her sword and armor.

One of the 'valuable' items that she had won off of Shar's 'owner' had been the deed papers of a small planet near the outer rim where the alien had quite a profitable little mining operation going on. She hadn't even known what phrikite was until Shar explained how it could be combined with another ore to make one of the most valuable metallic compounds known in the galaxy. When they reached the planet, the first thing they did was free the slaves and offer them the choice of leaving the planet or remaining there as _paid_ miners. Most of them stayed, not having any other place to go, and she named the new mining colony, Slayer's Haven. After a bit of contemplation, she took a good amount of the ore, purchased the other necessary ore, tydirium, and paid for it to be combined into phrik. While she had been doing that, she'd sent Shar out to find the identity and location of the best blacksmith in the galaxy.

She'd had to draw the design of her sword for him. He made it perfectly, and so well balanced that it instantly felt like it had always been in her hands. She offered his owner the remaining ore in exchange for the slave and, once ownership had been transferred, she took him to Slayer's Haven and freed him, helping him set up shop. She brought in others, and soon had the makings of a nice little village. One time, when she returned to pick up a shipment of processed ore to be delivered, she and Shar had found that the people had built her a villa a few days walk from the village. She'd loved it.

When she discovered armorweave and pure refined cortesis, she came up with something new. She had a long coat made of the armorweave, but between the cloth, was chain link mail made of cortesis shield. If a lightsaber managed to cut through the armorweave, the cortesis would short it out almost instantaneously. After it had been made to her satisfaction, she had one made for Shar as well. Koyi had her own armor, but she had something else in mind for her Twi'lek mate. The bindings on her lekkus. She had them replaced with new bindings made similar to the long coats, only the chain links were smaller and more tightly woven. The weave was spaced close enough that only a straight knife thrust could do serious damage to the very sensitive and very important brain-tails. She might be virtually immortal, but her mates weren't, and she would do whatever she could to give them as much protection as she could.

She was brought out of her thoughts when Sescia dropped down into the seat across from her with a hard glare. Buffy merely lifted a brow at her, then turned to Yledra and ignored her presence. She caught Yledra up on what she and Shar had been doing for the last three months since they'd left, telling her of the bounties that she'd apprehended and the scraps that Shar's smuggling had gotten them into. She also passed along the latest rumors circulating throughout the galaxy that she knew the Zeison Sha leader would be interested to hear.

"How have you obtained such 'useful' information?" Sescia demanded.

For a moment, Buffy considered continuing to ignore her, but finally, she shrugged and answered. "I've learned the value of cultivating contacts wherever possible. Not to mention, any bartender worth his salt knows how valuable a commodity information is. Ask politely and with the right currency, and they'll usually tell you anything of interest."

"So, what's the deal with Ms. Hothead?" Buffy asked her mate later that night as they made their way through the village to Koyi's home. Buffy was carrying Shar, who had fallen asleep an hour ago. She'd been so excited at seeing Koyi again that she'd barely slept for the last few days, in addition to whatever project had her so occupied, and she'd finally crashed, as all geniuses do, completely out of it in almost the blink of an eye.

"She does not like me." Koyi said in her usual understated way. "I have beaten her at nearly every challenge, and she does not tolerate defeat well. She is also quick to anger, and holds a grudge. To make the matter worse, I ascended to my trials first and I am on the leader's guard."

In her mind, the Slayer compared the two warriors. "She relies on her obvious physical strength and speed, but you were probably quicker, more agile and had more body coordination. Working with me would have made you even more so."

Koyi nodded as she opened the door, not at all surprised at Buffy's accurate assessment. "She left Yanibar shortly after achieving warrior status. Shortly before your first arrival, as Yledra said."

"Is she going to be a problem?" Buffy asked bluntly, laying Shar on the bed and undressing her. "I'd rather take care of her now, than have to deal with her later, when we're all busy."

Koyi considered. "If you put it that way, then probably so, but it would still not be wise. Once you beat her, she will only continue to target you."

Buffy merely hummed in absentminded response, distracted by the sight of Koyi undressing. When she'd stopped suppressing her baser side, it had nearly run roughshod over her until she'd finally regained control. The sight of her mates unclothed, however, never failed to completely derail all thoughts. Buffy licked her lips as arousal coiled hotly in her belly. The primal part came surging to the forefront of her psyche as she stepped forward and licked at the trail of sweat between her mate's plump breasts. She felt Koyi's hand cup the back of her head and tilt her face up to kiss her hungrily.

"We've missed you, baby." Buffy murmured, almost twitching in need. Yanking off her own shirt, she stepped closer so that her breasts were pressed snugly underneath her taller lover's. With a sexy growl, Koyi bent her knees slightly and grabbed Buffy's ass, lifting her off her feet and carrying her to the other side of the bed.

As she was laid down on the bed, Buffy scraped her nails carefully down sensitive red-skinned lekkus resting on Koyi's back as she ran her tongue teasingly up the lekku hanging next to her face. The Twi'lek shuddered above her, and her blue eyes went dark with lust. Buffy smiled wickedly at her reaction, then gasped as her legs were suddenly spread and Koyi settled between them, her fingers sinking immediately into the swollen folds of her sex, curling to press into that sweet spot, as her other hand grabbed a handful of blond hair and pulled her head back, baring her throat to lips, tongue and teeth. Unlike most Twi'leks Buffy had enjoyed in the past, Koyi liked her sex a bit on the rough side. Maybe it had something to do with that warrior mentality. They usually playfully fought for the dominant position, but Buffy was primed, and after a few deep thrusts, her body arched up as she exploded. "Oh, God, _Koyi_!!"

**A/N**: The Old Corellian Words & Phrases can be found here, and other phrases can be found at the external link at the bottom of the page.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Shar was still out of it when they were ready to go the next afternoon. Buffy, on the other hand, was nearly buzzing with energy. She and Koyi had made love all night, taking each other in turns. Rough and gentle and everything in between. It had been several hours before they'd collapsed in sweaty exhaustion. Buffy spent most of the morning with Yledra while Koyi took her things aboard the ship. Now, it was midday, and they were nearly ready to leave.

"We'll get word to you as soon as we can." She said, hugging the Zeison Sha leader for a long moment.

"If you have need of us, do not hesitate." Ydanni said as she clasped Buffy's forearm in the apparently universal warrior's handshake.

Buffy pulled her into a tight hug. "I will, little sister."

She turned towards Koyi's abode to pick up Shar, only to find herself blocked by Sescia. Taking in her expression, Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I wish to spar with you." Sescia said in a sneering voice.

"And you wait until just before I leave to ask me?" Buffy smirked. Sescia scowled when she glanced at Yledra, who nodded in obvious resignation. "You want to spar with me? Fine. When it's done, though, win or lose, you stay away from me and mine. Your reputation precedes you, and I'm going to be too busy to have to worry about you dogging my steps. I want you word of honor on it."

Sescia scowled harder. "Very well. I swear it on my honor."

"Fine, but no weapons, since mine are already packed up." Buffy shrugged. "And we need to make this quick, because I've still got to get my lady."

Sescia growled furiously at Buffy's obvious dismissal of her. They made their way over to the sparring ring, and the others followed, including Koyi, who arrived to stand next to Yledra and Ydanni, a small smile on her usually stoic face. Buffy had barely stepped in the ring when she immediately shifted to the side to avoid a swing at her head. She dodged a few more swings before she kicked Sescia in the back of her leg, sending her down to one knee, then punching her on the jaw. She pulled the blow, not wanted to hurt the woman, or even knock her out. Well, at least not yet. After all, she still needed to pay for that comment about her height.

She stepped back as Sescia shook her head and got back to both feet. Buffy physically blocked the next series of blows and kicks. She remained focused on her opponent, ignoring the raging curses the other woman was spitting at her as she failed to land even one blow on the small blonde. She wasn't surprised, though, when Sescia began using the Force to move just a little faster. It didn't matter to Buffy. The woman still wasn't in her league.

Then, Sescia made an almost-fatal mistake. "I hear that your little Ferroan hybrid was raised on Zeltros. I bet she's a tasty little thing."

Everyone went completely silent. It was bad form to bring another's family into a match, but it was not dishonorable to try to throw off an opponent with such talk. Yledra almost wished that she could stop the match before Sescia's mouth got her into more trouble than she could handle. Buffy was not one to take such talk lightly.

Buffy's eyes narrowed on her opponent, and a sudden hard backfist sent the taller woman spinning away. "Watch your mouth, bitch, or I'll rip your tongue out and shove it up your ass."

Standing on wobbly legs, Sescia spit out a mouthful of blood and glared at the tiny blonde. "What are you going to do about it? You got it two lucky punches this whole round. When I'm done with you, I think I'll go see if she's ready for a real woman between those pretty thighs. I wonder if she's a screamer."

Buffy went still as a statue. She waited until Sescia advanced on her. She could see the light of victory in the woman's eyes. Buffy caught the fist flying at her face, surprising Sescia to the point where her eyes opened comically wide, and then Buffy gave her an almost cruel smile as she unleashed a flurry of barely perceptible punches and kicks. In seconds, she had the warrior on her back and groaning in pain. Buffy knelt at her side and stared deeply into her eyes, her amber eyes nearly glowing. "Talk about either of my mates like that again and I will kill you. Never, ever, forget that there is _always_ someone better, regardless of how good you think you are, and right now, I am better than anyone. Do not challenge me again."

Then she stood to her feet and walked away, heading straight for Koyi's house to get Shar. The Twi'lek turned to Yledra and gave her a warrior's bow. "We will contact you soon."

Yledra merely nodded. "Go, and watch over them."

_:Are you all right, min larel?:_ Koyi asked Buffy, turning in the opposite direction and heading for the _Sineya_.

_:Yeah, I'm good. Got a little carried away. Haven't been fighting too much lately, and my instincts took over for a minute. Besides, she had it coming, talking about Shar like that.:_

The _Sineya_ lifted off as soon as Buffy was on the ship. She settled Shar into their bed and joined her mate in the cockpit as she entering the coordinates for Slayer's Haven. Grabbing Koyi's hand, she pulled her to her feet and led her to their room. "Let's get some sleep, honey. It'll be a few hours, even in hyperspace."

Without speaking, they undressed each other can climbed into bed. Buffy curled around her white-haired mate, and smiled when Koyi pulled them both close. With a sigh of contentment, she drifted off to sleep. And watched as Skywalker and Kenobi blasted their way onto a battlecruiser, fought their way through droids and faced off against Count Dooku again.

– _**Dream –**_

Kenobi was unconscious again, and Skywalker ended up with the double duty of fighting and protecting his Master once again. He really reminded her of Giles in that regard. Skywalker's win was impressive, and Buffy watched a little sadly as Palpatine talked around the issue until the young man convinced himself that murdering the defeated and now armless man was 'justice'. She wanted to kill the old man for that alone.

'_**This will be the beginning of the end.'**_ She heard the Emissary say to her.

'How long do I have.' Buffy asked.

'_**Within the next few months.'**_

– _**End Dream –**_

She jerked awake, panting slightly. She stared up at the ceiling blankly for a few minutes, until the heat of her lovers' bodies coaxed her back to sleep. This time her dreams were more run-of-the mill, focused on the family that she'd left behind. She didn't know when her dreams shifted from PG to X-rated. From movie nights with the Scoobies to soft tongues and slender fingers playing teasingly over her body, winding her tighter and tighter, until she woke up with a scream of pleasure at the orgasm that ripped through her. She clutched at Shar's back as the blue-skinned woman thrust into her with the toy that they had acquired on Zeltros, the planet that Shar had been raised. They made the best pleasure toys, which wasn't too surprising since the pursuit of pleasure was practically a religion there. On their last visit to Shar's foster parents, all three of them had had the special toys made. If it hadn't been for the fact that they toys were made by Shar's mother, they would have cost a substantial amount. Made with bio-organic technology, they used a sample of the purchaser's own DNA, so that when used, it felt as real as if it was an actual part of the body.

_:Oh, God, Shar.:_ Buffy eyes opened to see Shar staring down at her with focused intent. She held the Slayer's hands over her head and, careful to maintain eye contact, leaned down to flick her tongue across the blonde's painfully hard nipples.

_:You and Koyi started without me, love.:_ Shar sent back to her, sounding slightly miffed. She shifted she could hook one of Buffy's legs into the crook of her elbow, tilting her hips and opening her lover further for the deep, relentless thrusts. _:It's only right that I catch up.:_

_:You crashed, baby.: _Buffy moaned, then gasped when Shar caught her nipple firmly between her teeth, sending a bolt of lighting right to her clit. She threw her head back as another orgasm worked its way through her. She raked her nail up Shar's sensitive back and into her hair, pulling her up for a heated kiss._ :I told you to sleep. Besides, you didn't really think we'd be able to control ourselves, did you? You said it yourself. It's been a long time.:_

Shar rose up to smile at her, acknowledging the truth of that. Then her golden eyes widened when she felt long fingers tease up the back of her thighs and push into her. Koyi settled behind Shar, one arm thrusting into her while she leaned over them with the other arm propped next to Buffy's head. She pressed her sex against Shar's ass and used her own weight to help deepen the thrusts into their little human mate. They all moved together, flowing together in perfect unison, until they all reached their orgasms, one after the other.

Buffy cried out as the waves of pleasure crashed through her. She had one hand wrapped around Koyi's forearm next to her head, and other clenched in Shar's white hair. She panted as her orgasm leveled off. _:I love you both so much.:_

_:We love you as well.:_ Shar responded, pressing a gentle kiss on the skin of the throat that she was nuzzling.

They arrived at Slayer's Haven a few hours later. Buffy and Shar headed for the villa while Koyi went to the mining colony. Koyi arranged for a shipment of raw ore, processed ore, and some commissioned artifacts to be delivered to the _Sineya_, then returned to the ship to wait.

Going to the weapons room, Buffy grabbed her twin lightsabers, and Shar's Darksword, and Koyi's lightwhip, as well as their armored coats. Shar had gone down to the vault to swap their currency to Republic credits, and their Republic IDs.

"Are we going to have a reason for traveling to the Core Worlds, or are we just passing it off as a vacation?" Koyi asked when they finally rejoined her.

"Actually, we've got a reason." Buffy told her, handing the warrior a datacard. Koyi entered the card into the console. It was a purchase order. "One of the deliveries is our old friend Dal Perhi. He sent a message when he moved to the Black Sun's headquarters on Coruscant. After that, it shouldn't be too long before one of the Jedi Masters track us down."

"Is there one that you can trust?"

"No." Shar said as she dropped her bag on the table.

Buffy slapped her ass in reprimand. "I'm liking the little green guy. He might believe in that 'no emotion' bullshit, but he seems to be the one with the most common sense. Some of those guys have their heads shoved so far up their asses that they make me want to bitch-slap them just on GP."

Shar fell out laughing. Koyi merely smiled as she wrapped an arm around each of her mates. "Come then, I have fixed us a meal. I am almost afraid to ask what you have been eating while you have been gone seeing as how both of you are hopeless at cooking."

A few hours later, a young man's face appeared on the comm screen. "We have finished loading the cargo bays, Mistress."

"Thanks Jeran." Buffy answered. "Well, ladies, ready to watch the galaxy tear itself apart?"


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Buffy looked over Coruscant with a sneer of disgust. She _hated_ city-planets. It was just too damn crowded for her comfort. The only one that she ever traveled to just for visiting was Taris, the planet that she had that had been her home when she'd first arrived in this dimension. The Lower City hadn't been so bad, but as soon as she'd reached the resplendent Upper City, she'd bailed from the suffocating press of bodies as fast as she could. She still visited the families that had taken her in and cared for her those first few years, brought them much needed food and medical supplies when she had them, but kept to the Lower City where she was comfortable.

She hadn't so much as gone to a nightclub since she'd had to endure living with all of the Potentials in her house so long ago. The press of people in her personal space often left her short-tempered and bitchy. Her claustrophobia hadn't helped. It had been one of the reasons that she'd lived in Rome. Everything was nice and open in that beautiful country. Nowadays, the occasional bar was more than enough. When she and Shar wanted to party, they usually went to Zeltros, where they practically partied in the streets, or someplace else equally open.

"Load that container onto a heavy cargo ferry." She directed a cargo loader droid, pointed at the one she wanted. "We'll take it from there."

Buffy and Shar climbed into the ferry. They had several stops to make before going to the Underworld where their Black Sun contact wanted to meet. While making their deliveries, they had met up with a couple of Shar's 'suppliers' and agreed to deliver some 'cargo' to certain people in Coruscant. Meanwhile, Koyi went off to secure them lodgings somewhere where they would be relatively comfortable.

"Aeryn!" Dal Perhi greeted them enthusiastically a few hours later. "It's good to see you again, my friend."

"I hear that you're moving up in the ranks, Dal." Buffy said. Aeryn, another name pulled from _Farscape_, was the name that she was known by throughout the galaxy, except for her bounty hunting contacts. They knew her simply as Slayer. Only those closest to her knew her real name.

"It is my intention to be Underlord before the year is out." He admitted, then paused a moment before giving her a frustrated look. He always seemed to be telling her things that he would never utter to another. It was not that he did not trust her, far from it. He knew, better than most, that nothing could compel her to do anything, and she never passed along the more personal information that she gathered unless it would directly effect her and her people in a negative way. Even then, she was more likely to take care of the situation herself. She and her women were quite possibly the last living people that he could honestly say could not be bought. Regardless, one did not just _blurt_ out things of such a dangerous nature. "Damn it, Aeryn!"

"Don't worry about it." She grinned at him. "We're completely alone here, and Shar has jammed all the security devices in the area."

"Is that my stuff?" Dal asked, looking eagerly back at the container.

"Yep." Buffy nodded. "One spider silk armor suit designed to look like your usual outfit, with a layer of _phrik_ over your heart and in the collar. Getting those colors right was not easy Dal, but I won't charge you extra for it."

"Thanks." He said dryly. The specially created armor was already costing him several million trugets. He handed her a case with her payment and clasped her hand in thanks.

"Listen, Dal, if you hear any 'interesting' rumors about the big wigs up top, let me know, will you?" Buffy requested, giving him a contact frequency. She turned to leave, then turned again. "By the way, you might want to watch out for some joker calling himself Prince Xizor. He wants to be Underlord too, and he's already starting to take out the competition. I've already cashed in on a couple of his bounties. If you make your intentions known, you're gonna end up on his shit list real fast. I'll let you know if your name pops up."

Then she dragged the container to the ground and climbed back onto the ferry next to Shar. Her mate maneuvered the vehicle out of the narrow alleyway it had been parked in, and they returned it to the cargo master.

_:I've found a residence that might be suitable for us. It is a ways from the City, and it is not as cluttered with people.:_

_:I've got a better idea.:_ Buffy sent back as she straddled Shar's waist and kissed her teasingly. _:We've made a good profit this run. Let's go check out the beaches on Corellia. I've always wondered if they really are gold. Anyone strong enough to sense the power I'm letting leak out, can just as easily follow a trail.:_

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

The Dark Lord of the Sith gazed speculatively over the city. Almost a decade ago, he had felt a powerful presence appear within the Force. Powerful, and full of anger. Ideal for yet another Apprentice. All of his previous attempts to locate this person had failed, to the extent that the agents that he sent either returned with little recall of finding his quarry, or never returned at all. Finally, that power was within his grasp, here in the Core of the Galactic Republic.

For the past several decades, the Sith Order had been operating under Darth Bane's Rule of Two. One Master, to hold the power, and one Apprentice, to crave it. While Sidious agreed with that, for the most part, he also acknowledged that such a rule could lead to its own problems. An Apprentice could grow to crave the power to such an extent as to _take_ it from the Master, as he himself had done to his own Master. Bane felt that power was diluted if it was shared. This was the ideal that Sidious did not completely agree with. In his opinion, it is better to rule the rulers. Let other take the risks, while he orchestrated from the shadows.

His philosophy was simple. Cultivate their undying loyalty and blind obedience before beginning their Apprenticeship. Let his Apprentices learn as they wish, take what power they could grab. He knew that when the time came, when they were ready to attempt to take _his_ power, he could eliminate them as necessary. Those taught to use the Force, became dependent on the Force, and floundered when they were suddenly cut off at a strategic moment.

Just as his own Master had been.

***Master, forgive my delay.*** The small holographic image of his Apprentice, Lord Tyranus, appeared in the communication device. ***I was unavoidably detained.***

"The one that we have searched for has come to the Core." Sidious told him, uninterested in his excuses. "I want this person, whomever it is, found and brought to me. However, I suspect that only a Master will be able to sense the power."

***I will return immediately, Master.*** Darth Tyranus said with a deep bow.

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

Jedi Master Mace Windu looked at his fellow Council members, those present as well as the holo-images of those out in the field. "The presence reported by several of the Masters stationed in the Outer Rim Territories seems to have found its way here, to the Core. We now sense it on this very planet. It is very powerful, and very focused. There is darkness, but there is also light. As this juncture, we cannot ascertain if it is the Sith Lord that we are searching for."

"Do we have a plan?" One of the others in the chamber asked.

"We will bring this person before the Council." Windu responded. "If this person is of the Sith, then they must be destroyed. If not, then we must discover how they have managed to elude us for so long. As well as how they managed to cloud the memories of the Masters."

"Tread carefully, you must." The holo-image of Yoda spoke gravely. "Assessment the situation, we need."

"We should destroy this person before they become a threat!" Said Master Oppo Rancisis. "We should not willing bring the Dark Side into this Temple."

"I agree with Master Yoda." Master Even Piell spoke up. "Let us speak with this person before making any hasty decisions. Just because there is darkness, does not necessarily mean that this person has fallen to the Dark Side. Feelings of hurt and anger can cloud the Force with Darkness just as easily as evil intent. Theare things that we must discover. There is a chance that this person can be saved _before_falling completely to the Dark Side."

"Very well." Windu accepted. "We will dispatch a couple of Masters still here in the temple to track down this person with an invitation for a conference. Once the council has spoken to this person, we will make final decisions."

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

While the two sides plotted her capture, Buffy was concluding her business with Dal Pehri. As soon as Koyi returned to the ship, they paid their fees and broke orbit, heading for the golden beaches of Corellia.

They rented a villa on one of the famed beaches, which really did look kinda gold, and before long, Buffy and her mates were reclining lazily beneath the Corellian sun and making love in the rolling surfs.

They played for a few days, waiting for one side or the other to locate Buffy, but not necessarily stressing over it. She had left a clear trail for anyone skilled enough to find it. The only question was, who would get to her first?

When it did happen, it was naturally at a vastly inconvenient moment. They had gone to Coronet City for some shopping and general entertainment. It had been a great day for Buffy and her mates. They were riding back to their villa when their path was suddenly blocked by two men and a woman in brown cloaks. All three of them had their hands on their lightsabers.

Buffy stopped, studied them for a moment, then narrowed her eyes at the hostility she could feel from them. She attempted to be civil anyway. "Excuse us. You're blocking the path."

"In the name of the Jedi Order, we are detaining you and your compatriots." One of them said in an arrogant, sneering voice. "You will answer questions regarding crimes against the Republic."

Buffy's amber eyes went jewel hard and her lip curled in a snarl. Arrogant bastards. "You'd better come with proof before you step to me like that, _Jedi_. Your Republic means nothing to me. Nothing that happens here impacts on my profits in the least."

"Nevertheless, you _will_ come with us."

"No," Buffy refused, sneering at them in contempt. "I don't think we will."

She saw the barely perceptible shift and warned her mates. _:They are going to attack. Stay out of it unless they make a move towards you.:_

_:Buffy!:_ Shar began.

_:Do as I say!:_ Buffy commanded in a tone that Shar knew better than to argue against. She dropped from her mount and drew her sword as three lightsabers activated and the Jedi spread out.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Buffy was furious as she was led through the Jedi Temple on Coruscant a short time later. She glared at the back of the head of the woman she was following, taking a perverse pleasure in the knowledge that her fury was grating on the Force sense of everyone that they passed. The moment they reached the Council chambers, Buffy pushed past the woman and stormed in. Unceremoniously, she dumped the man she was carrying onto the floor. A moment later, Koyi also dropped her burden.

"You know, sending these jackasses to attack me is not the best way to make friends." Buffy said flatly.

"Padawan Avaya, what is the meaning of this?" Master Windu demanded in consternation. "You were ordered to pass along the Council's _request_ for an audience, not to engage her."

The young woman lowered her eyes. "We had followed the trail left behind to Corellia. Upon arrival, my Master stated that he sensed a Dark presence, and tracked it to this woman. He and Master Macao attempted to apprehend her and turn her over to the Council for questioning. When she refused, we attempted to subdue her, but she quickly defeated us. We did not know that she was the one we had previously been searching for."

"Was such force necessary?" One of the Council members asked.

Buffy glared at her. "They attacked me and my mates without provocation. We were minding our own business when they stepped up with accusations of crimes against your 'all-mighty' Republic. They're lucky that they're not dead."

"You have Darkness within you, and it is well known that dark deeds are occurring all across the galaxy." Another argued. "They were well within their rights to detain you. For all that we know, you could be the Sith that we search for!"

"Do my eyes look Sith yellow to you, dumbass?" Buffy sneered. "Like I told Mr. 'Quick-To-Judge' here, what happens in the Republic has nothing to do with me and mine. Our business is mainly done out in the Rims, and the only reason we're in the Core now, is to make a delivery for a customer who moved here before his order was completed."

"ENOUGH!" Windu barked before his fellow Councilman could respond. This situation was rapidly getting out of hand. "On behalf of this Council, I apologize for their 'hasty' actions, Miss..."

"You can call me Aeryn."

"That is not your name." Master Oppo quickly challenged.

Buffy arched a brow. "I didn't say it was. I said that's what _you_ could call me."

"You are extremely powerful for one so young," Windu took control of the conversation again. "And you have remarkable control for one so obviously not a Jedi. How is it that you were never brought to a Temple to be trained."

"Before leaving my world, I'd never even heard of the Jedi." Buffy shrugged. "When I found out about you, I was glad that I didn't. You live by rules that I don't agree with and would never abide by."

"Such as?" Windu asked curiously. It was virtually unheard of for a Force-sensitive to _not_ want to be trained in the ways of the Jedi.

"Suppressing emotions, no attachments," Buffy ticked off with her fingers. "Not training people because they're 'too old'." She used air quotes for that one. "I mean, come on, that's just stupid. Power is power, and it needs to be trained regardless of age. Oh yeah, let's not forget my all time least favorite, removing children from their families."

Windu sighed internally as he felt the flash of anger before it was quickly smothered. Oppa was as close to a fanatic that the Jedi had, rigid and unbending in his belief in the Jedi teachings.

"Who are you to denounce the trainings and traditions of the Jedi." Oppa demanded. "Our ways have served us well for centuries."

"I'm the one who has put down everyone you and that other clown have sent after me." Buffy retorted. "Besides, I didn't denounce anything. I simply said that I didn't believe in it." She turned her attention back to Windu. Unfortunately, he seemed like her best bet since Yoda obviously wasn't here. "This is going in circles, and useless ones at that. You look like the stick up your ass isn't quite so thick, so when you're ready to really talk, you come find me. Do yourself a favor, and try bring the little green dude with you."

Buffy turned and began to walk back towards her mates, who were standing next to the doorway, but froze when she heard Oppa's speak behind her. "We cannot allow her to leave here. She is too powerful. We cannot take the risk that she will fall to the Dark Side of the Force."

Her entire body tensed in reaction to the threat, and she spoke slowly with her back still to them. "My mates and I are leaving, and if you try to stop us, I _will_ kill you. Just because I haven't seriously hurt anyone yet, _does not_ mean that I'm not capable of it."

She walked out without another word, Koyi and Shar following close behind. No one stopped her. She knew that, now that they had an idea of who she was, and knew what she looked like, that they would be watching her.

_:They're going to be watching us now, you realize?:_ Shar said.

_:I know.:_ Buffy responded. _:We just have to make sure that we don't lead them to any of our homes. Other than that, they can watch all they want.:_

_:They know where we are already. We were originally the families of the Jedi that were killed in the last Sith war. All who knew where we were had been killed, and by the time the Jedi rediscovered us, we had remade our lives and had no more use for the Jedi Ways. Like you, their practice of taking younglings from their families is what angered us the most.: _Koyi told her._ :The other will most likely approach you soon. Especially once he finds out what was said and done here.:_

_:Well, I think I'd have to be disappointed in him if he didn't.:_ They could hear the smirk in her mental voice. _:Do you ladies want to go back to Corellia now, or get a room for the night and return tomorrow? We need to ditch them if we want to give the other side a chance to make contact. We need to get a feel of exactly what we're dealing with.:_

_:You think he will come himself?:_ Shar asked, a little surprised.

_:Oh, no.: _Buffy shook her head. _:His position is too precarious right now. He'll send a stooge, but it will be someone that he has a modicum of faith in. An apprentice, most likely.:_

Buffy had known from the very beginning, once the Emissary had explained how things worked in regards to the Jedi and the Sith, that they would both want her for their own. It was the nature of competing powerhouses. She had no intention of joining either. She'd had enough of 'fighting the good fight', and she had been a Champion of the Light for too long to turn to the Dark Side now. She would do as the Emissary offered, and live her life as she saw fit, and she was powerful enough that no one could make her do otherwise. She would fight when and where _she_ felt it was necessary, but she would not be dragged into this war.

She did realize, however, that she was going to have to be a little more 'direct' when it came to dealing with the Sith Lord. He was not above using her loved ones to his advantage, and she would have to think of a big enough threat to make him understand that it would be a tremendously _bad_ idea. No one messed with the people that she loved. Even Angelus had learned that.

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

Not far away, Sidious sat back in his chair in consideration. His spies had notified him of the strange women that they had witnessed being escorted to the Jedi Temple, two carrying unconscious and bloody Jedi Masters. Could the powerful entity that he had been searching for possibly be one, or all, of those women?

***My Lord, the women are leaving the Temple, but they are not going in the direction of the docking bays.*** One of his spies reported, breaking into his thoughts. A moment later, he continued. ***They are being followed.***

"Follow as well, but do not be discovered by the Jedi." Sidious ordered. "I want to know where they go." After disconnecting, he keyed in the sequence to open another communication channel, this one undetectable by conventional Republic technology. "Lord Tyranus, that which we seek is now here on Coruscant. Once you have the location, you will make the approach personally. The power rests in either one female, or the combined power of a merged triad, a truly unique ability. This power cannot be allowed to join the ranks of the Jedi. It must be either turned to the Dark Side, or it must be destroyed."

***As you wish, Master.***

A short time later, he relayed the necessary location to his Apprentice, then sat back and considered his plans. Despite this wrinkle, things were going mostly according to his vision, and he considered the new path this unexpected occurrence had opened up. If Tyranus was successful, then he would have no need for Skywalker, and the boy could be eliminated with the other accursed Jedi. If not, then it would not disrupt the events already in motion.


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

"Padawan Avaya, tell me how these three women managed to defeat two Jedi Masters and a Padawan on the cusp of taking her trials." Master Piell asked curiously.

"She fought unlike anything I have ever seen, Master." The Council could hear the unconscious awe in the young woman's voice. "Only the human, Aeryn, fought us. The other two remained mounted, merely watching. She moved like the winds and flowed like water. She fought with her entire body, and always made sure to keep at least one of us out of striking range."

"Master Bel and Master Macao have been training for more than five decades each." Master Oppa Rancis commented. "How could one slip of a human female defeat them both, and you even, all without aid?"

"She has remarkable control over the Force, Master." Avaya told them. "Even though she was angered by their accusations, she held her emotions in rigid control and seemed to channel her anger into the battle. She did not telegraph her moves in any way, either physically or in the Force. At one point, she kicked Master Bel in the chest while blocking a strike from Master Macao and, even with her back to me, used the Force to shove me away. She also utilizing fighting styles the likes that I have not seen before."

The Council questioned her for a few more minutes, then dismissed her.

Master Oppa said. "That woman is more of a threat to us than the Sith."

Windu managed to refrain from rolling his eyes. Barely. "Master Oppa, just because she does not believe in our ways, that does not make her a threat. She has not spoken out against the Jedi, nor has she made any moves against us. The Sith, however, is actively attempting to destabilize the Republic _right now_, and that is what we must be working to stop."

"I agree." Stass Allie spoke up. Relatively new on the Council, having taken her cousin's place after Ali Gallia had been killed by General Grievous, she had quickly found her own voice among the other, older Council members. "This woman is an unknown element, but as of yet, she is obviously not willing to be allied with either side. Until that changes, she, as well as her companions, should be watched, but otherwise left alone."

"Well, we have certainly gotten off on the wrong foot with her." Piell commented wryly. "We must be more careful in the future. It is quite obvious that she has learned to control and harness her emotions, even the darker ones, to her advantage, without succumbing to the Dark Side of the Force, but we do not want to push her there with our prejudices."

The members of the Council agreed with these assessments, then turned their attention back to trying to discover the identity of the Sith that still threatened them, not even realizing that their 'guest' had all but admitted to being approached already, and may have information that they did not.

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

They decided to go back to Corellia. Their reasoning was simple. The bad guys tended to not respond well to rejection, and if there was a fight, their chances would be better if they weren't surrounded by innocent bystanders. Buffy had sensed the Dark Jedi that had followed them to the planet after they had lost the Jedi that had been following them.

The moment they reached the villa that they had rented, Shar and Koyi went right for their weapons and armor. That had been the reason Buffy had ordered them to stay out of the fight with the Jedi. Shar had been armed only with a blaster, and knew better than to fire at a Jedi. Koyi was to protect Shar, and let Buffy deal with their attackers, since any wound she received would heal quickly. Her lovers knew that she was virtually immortal, but they still hated to see her hurt.

Suddenly, Buffy froze, staring ahead with unseeing eyes. A few minutes later, she blinked and her lip curled in anger. "Pack everything up. After we take care of this guy, we're out of here. Skywalker's about to do something stupid."

They made short work of it, since they didn't have very much to pack. Shar was packing the last of their souvenirs when they hear the screams of a hunted animal and the sounds of pursuit in the nearby foliage.

"Hunters." Buffy said disgustedly. She listened for a minute. "Well, fuck. They're driving whatever it is right for us."

With a frustrated sigh, she shrugged into her coat, her own version of body armor, made sure that her weapons were secured and went outside just in time to see the most beautiful wildcat she'd ever seen come tearing out of the woods. She could feel the animal's terror even as it skidded to a halt a few feet in front of her and began snarling furiously.

The Slayer in Buffy reacted instinctively, snarling right back and clearly declaring her dominance. The cat, a Sand Panther just old enough to hunt for itself, laid down in submission and Buffy took a step forward just as the pursuers burst into view. A human male, a human female and a Rodian. In a flash, the young panther was behind her, snarling at its pursuers from between her legs.

"Well, hey there, girlie, that's our prey." The human male said.

"I think you need to let this be the one that got away, and be happy with the ones that you've already caught." Buffy suggested.

The Rodian shook his head, almost regretfully. "Unfortunately, little human, that specific animal is a valuable commodity. I can make a sizable profit from any collector in the galaxy for the coloring alone."

Buffy glanced at the animal in question. The panther was silver-furred, and would indeed fetch a very high price. Funny how she'd missed that during the jockey for domination. Profit was usually the second thing on her mind, right behind her mates. But then, she'd never liked the idea of poaching animals for their hides to pad someone's wardrobe. It was inhumane, even back on Earth. Neither did she like the thought of putting wild animals in cages.

"That's too bad." Buffy said flatly, crossing her arms and widening her stance protectively.

"You think you can protect the little beast, girlie." The first speaker sneered. He was in the process of lifting his blaster rifle when he suddenly fell to the side, a smoking hole bleeding sluggishly from his temple.

"You heard her." Shar growled. "Get out of here, or I'll kill you where you stand."

Shar was an animal lover to the core of her being. It didn't matter what type of animal it was, or whether it was domesticated or feral, Shar loved them and they loved her. Hell, it was probably what drew the Slayer to her in the first place. While Buffy did not like the practice of poaching, Shar flat out hated _poachers_, period.

The Rodian's black eyes shifted from Buffy's unmoving stance, to Shar's hard-eyed glare and steady gun to the heavily armored Twi'lek standing directly behind the blue-skinned woman with her hand on a disc shaped weapon, and wisely decided that the animal wasn't worth his own life. With a motion to his compatriot, they disappeared quietly back into the woods.

Buffy listened intently until she was sure that they were really gone, then spoke to her lover. "C'mere, Shar, the cat's wounded."

In a flash, Shar's weapon was holstered and she was kneeling beside the dangerous animal. She instinctively reached out to it with the Force, projecting calming and soothing waves of the unconditional affection that she had for all animals. Buffy watched closely, ready to stop the animal in an instant if it looked like it was about to attack. Corellian sand panthers were poisonous.

Shar put the finishing touches on the bandage cuff just as the cargo droids arrived to ferry their stuff back to their ship. Buffy waited until the droids were gone, then leaned against the deck. "Okay, I think you've watched long enough. Either make your move, or leave."

_:Fuck me, how long has he been there?:_ Shar asked as a grey haired man suddenly appeared on the path.

_:Since just after you shot that jackass.:_

_:He's very strong.:_ Koyi said. _:Even I can feel the Darkness in him. Is this the Master?:_

_:No, just a pawn.: _Buffy told her._ :One that about to become disposable, at that. Still, he was a Master when he was still a member of the Jedi Order, and he's gotten even stronger since turning to the Dark Side.:_

_:Be careful, baby,:_ Shar commanded. _:I expect to be fucked long and hard after this, but not if you're bleeding all over the damn ship. And you know that Sineya hates when you get her all bloody.:_

Buffy rolled her eyes in exasperation, but she still kept track of the man approaching them. _:It was one time. One time! And I fell like ten feet and landed on a piece of rebar. Ruined my shirt.:_

_:Oh, is that why you went all gladiator on his ass?:_ Shar smirked.

"I am Lord Tyranus," The old man said before Buffy could respond. "and I have come on behalf of my Master, Darth Sidious."

"Tyranus, huh?" Buffy's brow rose, as if she didn't already know who he was. "So where's your girlfriend?"

"Excuse me?" Tyranus asked, a little perplexed.

"You know, bald head, tattoos, in need of _serious_ anger management."

"Ahh, you speak of my Apprentice." The man nodded. "She is attending to other business."

_:He's too strong for either of you.:_ Buffy told her mates. _:Just worry about keeping your shields up in case he tries to use the Force against you. Merge with each other just like I taught you.:_

"Well, I'll tell you the same thing I told her." Buffy said to him. "I'm not interested in the bullshit that you're selling. If you wanna fight to rule over a bunch of people that don't give a shit about who's in charge, then you go right ahead."

"I don't believe you quite grasp what we can offer you." Tyranus cajoled.

"Money, power and respect, right?" Buffy smirked. "I've got more power than I'll ever want, all the money I could ever need, and the respect of the only people that matter. I answer to no one and I'm only responsible for what I choose to be responsible for. So, you see, you people really don't have anything to offer me."

"That is a shame, my dears." Tyranus mused. "Because your only options are to either join us, or be destroyed."


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

Buffy rolled her eyes as the old man drew his lightsaber. "What is it with you people and rejection? I don't want to join the Jedi, so I'm too dangerous to roam free. I don't want to join you bozos, so I have to be destroyed. This whole place is a psychiatrist's wet dream."

"My dear," Dooku said cajolingly, not sure what a 'psychiatrist' was, and therefore dismissing it as irrelevant. "I have no wish to see you destroyed. I ask again, join our cause to bring order and stability to the Galaxy."

"You say that like 'order' and 'stability' are always good things. Personally, the freedom and chaos of having the free will to make my own decisions is always of the good."

"And yet, you have not joined the Jedi." He observed.

"Still my own decision." Buffy shrugged. "I had my reason for not joining the Jedi, just like I have my reasons for not getting involved with your little power play. Why don't you just take my refusal back to your Master and leave us alone."

The lightsaber ignited. "Regretfully, that cannot be."

He advanced on her slowly. He would not underestimate this woman as so many others obviously had. One of the first things that he had learned from his Master was that the truly powerful often hid that power, for one reason or another.

Buffy smirked at his wary approach. "I see that your Master taught you more than you taught your student. She really needs to get a handle on those wild emotions if you plan to send her after trained Jedi like Kenobi and Skywalker."

He momentarily froze in shock. He had not even informed his Master of his plans to use his Apprentice to distract Kenobi, and definitely not of his plans to have her eliminate Skywalker. He was well aware that Sidious wanted Skywalker as yet another Apprentice, and he had wanted the competition removed as quickly as possible. His resolve settled. Now she was a danger to him as well as to his Master. If she knew of plans that he had not told another soul, there was no telling what else she might know. Better to eliminate her now, whether she was willing to turn or not. She was far too dangerous to be left alive.

Buffy didn't need the Force to know what the former Jedi Master was thinking. His face was expressionless, but the eyes gave him away. She kept all of her focus on the man, knowing that he would be her toughest opponent by far. She remembered the dream-vision of Genosha. This man had basically reached the level of Grand Master when he'd combined with knowledge of the Jedi with the teachings of the Sith. Only Yoda had been a real opponent then, and she doubted that he'd done her the favor of getting lazy in his practicing since that time.

_:You two focus only on deflecting anything he throws at you, either physically or through the Force.: _Buffy told her mates as her body geared itself up for the fight. _:If he manages to get one of you in that choke, don't panic. I'll get you out of it.:_

_:Be careful.:_ They responded simultaneously.

She pulled her own lightsaber from the inside of her coat as he stepped close enough to comfortably strike at her, but she didn't ignite it. She wanted to see what he'd do first.

He watched her, waiting for her to attack him like most young people would have done. He was a little worried when she merely stood there, her weapon held negligently at her side, watching him with unblinking eyes. Only warriors long accustomed to battle had such patience and control. He would have to make the first move, and test just how practiced she was at the art of war.

He swung his lightsaber in a series of moves that only experienced Jedi would know. He barely took a moment to notice the unusual color of her blade. It was the same color as her eyes. She blocked the moves with ease, but gave away nothing of her own abilities. For a moment, he was unsure how to proceed. He was unaccustomed to fighting a Force-sensitive warrior of such extensive skill that had not been Jedi-trained.

Finally, Buffy got tired of waiting. "C'mon, c'mon, I've got other things to do today."

Angered at her obvious disregard, he launched into a full attack, calling on skills honed from a lifetime of battling as both a Jedi Master and a Sith Lord. He was sure that her defeat would not take long. After all, one so young could know only so much. To his astonishment, she continued to block his blows, even going so far as to push him away long enough to launch an offensive attack of her own. As he found himself hard pressed on the defensive, he wondered if he had perhaps underestimated her after all.

After the fight had lasted almost fifteen minutes straight, with neither of them gaining any ground, Dooku used the Force to leap out of striking distance and threw his hand out towards the two women watching them from the side. He clenched his hand in a grab, and the slim blue-skinned woman's head tilted back and her hands instinctively went to her throat as he used the Force to close her airway. Before he even return his attention to his opponent, he was thrown backwards by a Force Throw so hard, he felt like he'd been hit by a stone boulder. He could see the fierce anger in the feral, amber eyes as she stalked towards him, and felt an unreasoning panic flood his senses. He threw out his hand again at the women standing off to the side, and this time, bright bolts of lightning arced from his fingers towards them. He tightened his grip on his weapon and waited for her to leap over to intercept it.

However, to his absolute shock, all she did was throw her own hand towards the two women as well and the lightning _curved away_ from his intended targets to where she stood, coalescing in the palm of her hand. His eyes widened. He had never seen anything like that before.

"That," she growled coldly as she closed her hand into a fist, dispersing the gathered power, "was a mistake."

Her next attack was so fierce and so fast that he could barely manage to keep her lightsaber away from his body. He could feel the force of the blows vibrate up his arms and, in a move of desperation, he lashed out with a Force Throw, throwing her away from him. Anything to give him a little space and a moment to recover and regroup.

Before he could take his first breath, he felt a shift in the air around him, and flung himself to the side just in time to narrowly avoid being clawed by a snarling silver-furred sand panther. The cat had stayed out of the way for the entire fight, watching closely as the Alpha defended the pride, right up until the male had sent his attack to the Alpha's mates. The cat knew that it's new pridemates could not attack on orders of the Alpha, so it would have to defend them until the Alpha could once again engage.

Buffy rolled through the throw until she could push up into a neat flip. She landed in a ready crouch in time to see the sand panther attempt to attack the Sith Lord. _:Get back:_ She sent to the animal, not knowing if it would get the message, but unable to keep from attempting it anyway. Surprisingly, the cat backed off immediately and loped back over to pace protectively in front of Shar and Koyi. Thankfully, it had all happened before Dooku could recover enough to take a swing at the cat.

Gathering his strength and pulling on the Force, Dooku pulled his second lightsaber. He did not often resort to using two, as he did not really like using multiple weapons, but his previous confidence in victory had been severely shaken by the skill and savagery of her attack. There were extremely few in the galaxy who could Master the art of wielding a pair of lightsabers, but he did not fool himself by considering that she could possibly not be one of those few.

Buffy's focus narrowed when he pulled the other weapon, but she didn't draw her own second lightsaber. She wanted that to be a surprise, either here if she absolutely needed it or, more importantly, to throw off the _real_ Big Bad if he ever decided to get off his ass and come after her himself. She advanced first this time, coming in with a speed that surprised him momentarily and let her get in the first strike. He barely moved away in time, and the blow that would have amputated his right arm, merely left a cauterized gash. It took everything he had to block the pain and keep his grip on his weapon.

The fight lasted for another few minutes before it ended with an abruptness that left him unbalanced. With the lightsaber of his good arm, he struck out with all of his flagging strength, and penetrated her armor coat but, instead of blood and the smell of burnt flesh, his lightsaber blade flared, then winked out.

_Cortesis_, he thought, dismayed.

Before he could switch it back on, he felt a small fist slam into his ribcage with a force that lifted him off of his feet and convulsed his entire body. He felt several of them shatter, and instinctively dropped his weapons to wrap his arms around his midsection to protect it from further damage. Before he could crumble to the ground, everything about him froze. He couldn't move, speak or even blink, but he his sense of the world around him.

"You can't die just yet." Buffy said as she lowered him carefully to the ground. "There's another fate in store for you. The partial stasis will keep those bone shards from tearing up your insides and keep you from dying of internal bleeding. We'll send a medical unit from the city. I have a message for your boss, though."

She knelt down until she was staring him directly in the eyes. "Tell the 'esteemed' Chancellor Palpatine that if he ever, and I do mean, _ever_ comes after me and mine again, I won't just expose him. I'll annihilate him, and then I will see to it that the Sith _never_ rise again."

They were back in space before Shar asked. "Do you think they'll heed your threat?"

"Not likely." Buffy admitted. "But it will make him stop and regroup. I'm an unknown factor, and I've just defeated two Jedi Masters and his best Apprentice. They'll all be planning their next attempts much more carefully."


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

It took all of Buffy's self control to keep her hands to herself until they could get back to the ship. It had been a while since she'd had a good, hard fight, and her battle-lust was riding her hard as a result. They'd barely broken orbit before she pulled Shar into her lap and kissed her hungrily.

"Where are we going, Buffy?" Koyi asked quickly. She could sense the haze of lust beginning to cloud Buffy's thoughts.

"Jabiim." Buffy said as she broke the kiss to nip her way down Shar's neck. She pulled back to grab Shar's shirt in both fists and rip it open, too impatient to simply undress her. "Skywalker's going to abandon a group of baby Jedi and they're going to get slaughtered. We're going to save them."

Koyi looked over at her with a hard expression. "Why would he do such a treacherous thing?"

"Because he's a stupid little boy with too much power and the wrong type of friends." She stood with Shar wrapped around her. "Don't worry, baby. We'll get there in time."

Koyi struggled with her anger for a moment before she accepted the reassurance. If there was one thing about Buffy, it was that she would never let an innocent suffer if she could spare them, or let her own needs keep her from completing her duty. If she said that they would make it in time, then they would. And then she would make Skywalker pay for this atrocity. She won't care what influence the misguided boy was under. She watched them walk away, smiling softly as the remains of Shar's shirt drifted to the floor. She'd join them as soon as she got them on course and into hyperspace.

Buffy took her mate to their cabin and tossed Shar on the bed. She tore her clothes off as she watched with heated eyes as Shar shimmied out of her pants. She growled as she watched the lithe body was bared before her eyes. Shar smirked at her as she teased her own breasts, arching sensually beneath Buffy's hot gaze.

"I can feel your need, baby." She purred. "Do you want to take me hard with your fingers, tongue and teeth?"

Buffy's almost animalistic growl rose in intensity as she crawled onto the bed, her eyes glued to Shar's slender fingers teasing their way down to her glistening sex.

"Or maybe you want to take your toy and pound me through this mattress like I did to you the other day, hmm?"

Before Buffy reached her, she suddenly moved until she was on her hands and knees, facing the Slayer with a wicked look in her golden eyes as crawled backwards, matching Buffy's advance. "I don't think I want to give in so easily this time, Slayer."

"Now is not the time, Sharael."

The use of her full name was a warning, and she knew it. Her smirk widened tauntingly. By the stars, she _loved_ it when Buffy was like this. She quickly debated if she wanted to throw plasma into this already fiery situation by running. Buffy must have seen something of her intentions in her face, because before she even saw the Slayer move, she was pinned face down on the bed.

"Oh, no you don't." Buffy snarled in her ear.

Holding her squirming lover down and ignoring her half-hearted struggling, which was more like undulations than actual struggles, Buffy pressed a button the headboard and a compartment opened, spilling its contents. She wrestled Shar back to the center of the bed as the bar extended and maneuvered her lover's wrists into the fur-lined cuffs. She pulled her lover up onto her knees, then draped herself across her back so that she could tweak and twist her hard blue nipples.

"You know better than to push when I'm like this, now don't you, baby?" Buffy purred dangerously, twisting the nipples a little harder. Shar groaned and her back arched as the painful pleasure streaked from her breasts to her sex. She moaned again, this time in desperation, when those hands left her body and she felt Buffy move away.

Buffy quickly donned her toy, her eyes half closing at the sensations as the toy attached to her clit, feeling like a true extension of her body. She knew what Shar wanted, and had every intention of giving it to her, but first things first. She lay down between Shar's legs on her back and wiggled her way beneath her blue-skinned lover. She licked her lips in anticipation as she looked up at the hairless, glistening lips of her sex. The scent of her need was as heady as Sullustan gin, the good stuff, not the crap that they served in most places these days. She could see that her lover's pleasure nodes were swollen and practically pulsing in her need. Grasping Shar's hips to hold her steady, Buffy ran the tip of her tongue up the length of her slit, careful to avoid touching the nodes.

"Buffy, please!" Shar begged, trying to maneuver herself into a firmer contact, but unable to break her lover's grip.

"Oh, no, baby," Buffy denied her, "you wanted to play, remember."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Shar shook her head frantically. "Really! I'd never tease you in this state."

Buffy flicked her tongue of one of the sensitive nodes, and Shar's entire body jerked as if touched by a live wire.

"You taste like heaven, Sha..." Suddenly Buffy's body arched and her eyes rolled up into her head as the tip of the phallus was engulfed in a warm wet haven. "_Ohhh._"

Red hands reached around to cup blue breasts as Koyi eased down on the phallus. It had been several months since her body had been invaded by anything thicker than her own fingers, and it took her a brief moment to adjust.

_:Ohgodohgodohgod.:_ Buffy was panting harshly as she felt every flex and flutter of the Twi'lek's inner muscles.

"Please!" Shar cried.

Behind her, Koyi raked her teeth on the juncture where her neck met her shoulder as she practically mauled the breasts in her large hands. At the same time, she began to move on Buffy, up and down at a steadily increasing pace.

Below her, Buffy stroked her tongue up the length of her slit, keeping it stiff as it passed over her pleasure nodes, before thrusting into her body as far as she could. Shar screamed as the pleasure exploded through her body. Buffy flicked her tongue over each node in turn, prolonging her mate's climax, forcing her deeper into orgasmic bliss, until Shar was begging for reprieve. By then, Buffy own need was overwhelming and Koyi's steady rhythm just wasn't doing it for her. She released Shar from the cuffs and let the white-haired woman collapse to the side as she grasped Koyi by the hips and flipped them over.

Koyi's warrior mentality wouldn't let her submit easily, and they wrestled briefly for dominance before Buffy pinned her hands over her head. Buffy rose slightly to her knees for more leverage, and began pounding relentlessly into her mate. Buffy sensed it the moment Koyi accepted her dominance.

_"Mine."_ Buffy growled as she released Koyi's hands and braced one hand on the bed next to her head and used the other to draw a muscular leg higher up on her waist.

The new angle had Buffy ramming to the sensitive spot high inside the Twi'lek that was very, very similar to the human g-spot. It wasn't long before the Zeison Sha warrior was yelling the Slayer's name as her release tore through her like a supernova.

A few hours later, Koyi sat on the bed with Buffy reclining against her chest in contentment, running her fingers gently through the white hair of their sleeping lover. They had given their lover what she'd wanted, riding her hard and long until she finally couldn't take anymore.

"What are we going to do on Jabiim?" Koyi asked, wrapping her arms around Buffy's waist.

"We're just going to get the kids out of the line of fire." Buffy told her. "Are you feeling the need to get your hands dirty?"

Koyi rested her chin on Buffy's shoulder. "If Skywalker is going to abandon these kids, then it won't be at the behest of the Jedi Council. An order like that would only come from Palpatine. If he's pulling Skywalker out, then he's probably intending to abandon the planet entirely. He's still the Supreme Chancellor, and it will look like the Republic is leaving them to the 'mercy' of the Confederacy."

"You want to help them?" Buffy asked, turning to face her mate.

"I know you, _min larel_," Koyi smiled. "when we get there, you will want to help them as well. You may not want to get involved in this war, but you have never been able to turn your back on the innocent. The people of Jabiim won't stand a chance if the Republic pulls their troops out."

"The three of us, ripping Palpy's tin soldiers to shreds?" Buffy's eyes gleamed at the thought.

"We can't do too much damage, or we'll get caught up whether we want to or not." The Twi'lek warrior cautioned. Buffy had an immense capacity for destruction that Koyi'd had to curb more than once. Best to head this off now, rather than try to redirect her later. However, the fight with the Jedi and then with Tyranus had brought the Slayer to the surface, and that violent part of Buffy's personality needed to be pointed somewhere, or it would build up until she found herself back in a gladiator's ring.

They both jumped when Shar suddenly pushed herself up, her eyes opened wide. "That's it!"

Without a word to either of them, she scrambled off the bed. Wide-eyed, Buffy looked over her shoulder, only to see an equally startled gaze looking back at her. "I didn't think she was even awake." Buffy said in bemusement.

"She wasn't." Koyi responded in equal bewilderment. "C'mon."

They climbed out of the bed to follow their lover. They found her in the galley, tinkering with whatever project currently occupied her attention. Buffy sat across from her. "Shar?"

Shar looked up at her with an almost feverish look in her eyes. The warriors could almost see the wheels turning madly in that brilliant head. "I need some of your blood to make this work, Buffy." She said quickly before turning her attention back to the piece of equipment in her hands. "I think I've almost got it."

"Make what work, baby?" _God, she reminds me of Willow so much when she's like this,_ Buffy thought wistfully.

"A communications device to contact your sister." The genius answered almost absentmindedly, her attention firmly fixed on what she was doing.

Buffy jerked and would have fallen backwards off the seat if Koyi hadn't quickly braced her with a hand at her back. She was ready to fire off more questions, but the Twi'lek stopped her.

"She's barely with us, Buffy. You know how she is when she gets like this. Let her finish, then she can answer your questions." She pulled the still dazed blonde away from the table. "You go do some exercises while I fix us something to eat."

She went through her warm-up katas as her mind went around and around the thought of possibly talking to Dawn again. She had worked herself to near exhaustion when she felt Shar's presence. She grabbed a towel to wipe away the sweat and, when she draped the towel around her shoulders, she felt her mate step up behind her and wrap her arms around her waist.

"I'm sorry, baby." She murmured into the back of her head. "I didn't mean to drop it on you like that. I didn't want to say anything until I could make it work. Didn't want to get your hopes up in case I couldn't figure it out."

"I understand." Buffy sighed. "It just caught me by surprise, that's all." She turned in Shar's arms. "Even if you don't get it to work, thanks for trying."

"Actually, I think I've almost got it." Shar suddenly smiled as they left the training room for the kitchen area where Koyi was just finishing their meal. "I've figured out how to use the Force to breach the dimensional barriers. Not enough to pass through, but enough to send a signal. The problem was that I was trying to find a way to search for the correct dimension, but then I realized something. You said that your sister had been made from you, right?"

Buffy nodded.

"So, even though she's a different person than you are, the base elements that make her an organic lifeform would still be the same as yours. Essentially, you're both here _and_ there, and so I can use _you_ to hone in on _her_."

Buffy's face broke out into a grin as they took their plates from Koyi and sat down at the opposite end of the table from where Shar had been working. It was one of those bright, open grins that only recently started to become a familiar sight. "That would be so great. I'd love to talk to them them again, even if it's just some funky interuniversal phonecall. I can't wait to introduce you two to my family."


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

They exited hyperspace a light-year away from Jabiim to give Shar time to disguise their sensor readings so that they would look like just another of the numerous Trade Federation fighters already converging on the planet. She didn't simply cloak the ship because she didn't want to suddenly appear on anyone's sensors when they de-cloaked to board the younglings. Buffy flew them quickly over the war-torn world, carefully keeping them completely shielded from the Force-sensitives on the ground, especially Skywalker.

"Well, well, well," Buffy murmured as she sensed a familiar presence below. "So _this_ is where she ended up."

"Who?" Koyi asked.

"Our little Sith-wannabe." Buffy reached out and subtly probed Asajj Ventruss' surface thoughts until she moved out of range for the light contact. "She's after Skywalker. She plans to tell him that she killed his Master to goad him into a duel. Considering he's smack dab in the middle of the Jabiim army, somehow I don't think she'll get the opportunity."

She landed _Sineya_ not far from where the young Padawans had holed up after Skywalker left them. She could feel their fear, and their admirable determination to control it. Because she knew that the Jedi-trained children wouldn't trust her because of the dark nature of her powers, she sent a small pulse through the Force to put them in a stasis-like sleep. The bonus of that, was that their presence in the Force would be muted, almost to the point of non-existence. The sudden disappearance of so many Force-adepts would draw Skywalker's attention, whether he was keeping track of them or not, and the conflicted young Jedi Knight would assume that the Padawan group had been killed. Maybe the guilt would do him some good.

Buffy and Koyi made quick work of moving the 'unconscious' kids onto the ship while Shar kept watch. They made the Padawans comfortable in Shar's modified Bauda in the hanger bay. Shar had rigged the hanger with specially designed sensor blockers that would make the hanger seem empty if they were scanned.

After getting them settled, Buffy shrugged into her armourweave coat and strapped on her weapons, including her rarely used blasters. "Ready?"

"Just one or two squadrons, Buffy." Koyi cautioned again. "We don't want them converging on our location too quickly to find out who or what is decimating their troops. Remember that we also have to make sure that our tracks are covered."

"Oh, I think that will be more than enough." Buffy acknowledged. "There are about 15-20 metal-heads per squad, right? Besides, this is a battlefield. It would take more than a couple of squads to worry anyone. Now, a battalion, maybe..."

The Twi'lek rolled her eyes in exasperation even as she smiled at her lover's obvious excitement. As they were leaving, Buffy gave orders to her ship. "All right, girl. You stay out of trouble, but remember to monitor your surroundings. If any other ships start heading this way, or anyone tries to contact you, you let us know, understand?"

There were a quick series of lights on the panel next to the door indicating _Sineya_'s response. "We need to get you back to Zonoma Sekot soon. It's about time for a complete physical for you."

There were another series of lights.

"No, you're getting a check up, and that's the end of it." She started to walk off, then faltered. "Oh shit, I really do sound like Mom! I thought that was just Dawn being mean."

As she continued on through the doorway, she swore she saw _Sineya_ laughing at her.

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

Buffy laughed wildly in exhilaration as she beheaded several B1 battle droids with her lightsabers. She could have used her blasters, but the Slayer in her needed the extra burst of violence inherent in swordplay. Lightning fast flickers of her sabers deflected oncoming fire, most back to their origins. Taking a quick step back, she sent a mental Force blast, scattering them and giving her the moment she needed to close the distance. With a flurry of amber light, she was soon standing amid sheared droid parts.

A quick glance around showed Koyi taking out her own group of droids with her disc weapon and lightwhip and Shar with blasters in both hands, covering the flank of the group of women and children that they had rescued as they ran away from the battlefield.

A movement caught her attention through the torrent of rain and, without thinking, Buffy threw one of Shar's 'special' grenades. She sent mental warnings to her mates as the grenades detonated, launching a quartet of shielded droideka high into the air. A concentrated Force wave while they were still in the air, sent them hurdling out of sight. She didn't even hesitate to advance on their previous position, reaching the destroyed area just as a small compliment of D-60 assault droids opened fire.

They had already taken out more than the two squads Koyi had cautioned her about. They discovered that the soldiers had 'No Mercy' orders, and were killing anything that moved, be it man, woman, child or even animal.

She ducked as she sensed Koyi's disc weapon coming up on her blind side, turning her head to avoid sharpnel when the droid it sliced through split apart with a tiny explosion. With a brutal kick, she launched one half into the weapon 'arm' of one of the other droids as she swung her lightsaber to slice another in two. At the same time, several others were felled by blaster fire from Shar as she reappeared from the forest edge.

"I think we've had enough fun." Buffy said, deactivating her sabers. She pulled out a blaster. "Let's get off this rock."

They got back to _Sineya_ with little difficulty. The ship had lifted off above the tree line when her sensors picked up the patrol headed in her direction. By the time the triad made their way back, the patrol of B1s had already found the cave that the Padawans had taken refuge in, and was searching it. Staying out of sight, the three of them climbed the side of the mountain to a more or less flat ledge where _Sineya_ picked them up, backing up to allow them to Force leap into her open hanger. With a hard smile, Buffy cloaked and directed the ship back down to the surface until her burners were facing the mouth of the cave, then went to full burn for a whole minute before actually taking off.

Instead of heading directly for orbit, Buffy turned the ship to some far off ruins.

"Where are we going, baby?" Shar asked from the navigator's seat.

"I just want to take a quick look to see how Skywalker's holding up." Buffy told them. "I can feel him tapping into the Dark Side of the Force."

"It is his choice, _larel_." Koyi said, laying a hand on her shoulder. "He makes the decision to allow himself to be corrupted."

"I know," Buffy sighed, but relented and turned the ship back up towards space. "I'd spare him if I could, but this has to be. It's just hard to know that they're using his love for Padmé to give the Darkness a way back in. Doing the wrong things for the right reasons should never have such devastating consequences."

From her tone alone, much less the emotional turbulence that they were picking up through their bond, both Koyi and Shar could tell that she spoke from personal experience.

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

A few hours later, the triad slept peacefully after several hours in bed to satisfy everyone's leftover adreneline from the fight. Buffy had set them on a course for Bespin to drop the Padawans off at the Jedi enclave there. She then set _Sineya_ on a course back into the Core, deciding that it was finally time to meet the 'Chosen One' face to face, knowing that he would soon abandon Jabiim and return to Coruscant, if he hadn't already. As it turned out, they arrived in capital of the Republic just in time to intercept a transmission from the Jedi Knight, informing the Chancellor of the situation on Jabiim.

_*I pulled the troops out of Jabiim as you asked, Chancellor. I do not see how the loyalists could possibly survive the 'no mercy' orders that we heard they were working under. I hope that truly was as necessary as you say.*_

_*Of course it was, young Jedi. Sometimes, in war, sacrifices must be made for the greater good. Once the war is done, we will go back, make restitution and help them rebuild.*_

_*I understand, Chancellor, it's just that the people there believe that the Republic and the Jedi have abandoned them, and there were...*_

_*I know how you are feeling, Anakin, believe me. However, I truly believe that once the Republic pulls out, the 'no mercy' order will more than likely be rescinded. Such a thing is usually to draw out enemy forces. If we removed ourselves, then there will be no more reason for such a senseless act.*_

The metal cup in Buffy's hand crumpled as they continued to listen. The way Palpatine was manipulating this kid was pissing her off to no end. She wanted to slap some sense into Skywalker so badly that her hand actually tingled. She got up and left the cockpit before she did something that would ruin their plans to stay out of this war.


	13. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Buffy decided to land _Sineya_ on a nearby asteroid, instead of letting her amuse herself just out of the planet's orbit, to which the living ship complained with almost adolescent indignity. Although Buffy had never landed _Sineya_ on any planet other than Slayer's Haven or Yanibar, the ship had never been required to actually _hide _in any way other than cloaking, and didn't understand why she had to do it now.

"You're the ace up my sleeve, baby." Buffy finally explained to her ship. "I don't want any more people than necessary knowing of your existence. They can't prepare for our advantages if they don't know about them, and you, _Sineya_, are a BIG advantage."

After that, _Sineya_ accepted her temporary home, and the triad exchanged smiles as they could almost feel her pride at her obvious importance.

After they intercepted Skywalker's transmission to the Jedi Council announcing his imminent arrival, Buffy contacted the Council to inform Windu of the Padawan Pack that she had rescued, knowing full well that he would want more information, and want to speak on it face-to-face. She didn't tell him that she had been the one to rescue them, however, just made it seem as though she had been on Bespin when they had been dropped off. Her smile was not nice when she received his request to meet at the Temple. When she accepted, with seeming reluctance, he informed her that she would be escorted to the Jedi Temple by a Knight returning from the battle.

She landed the Bauda-class star yacht in her assigned landing bay, and they amused themselves chatting with the non-droid workers as they waited for their 'escort'.

Anakin prowled from the fighter hanger to the more public hanger, frustrated that he was, once again, doing such menial tasks despite his rank as a Jedi Knight. As he approached the other hanger, he looked around, wondering who could be so important that they need a Knight for an escort. There was certainly no one here powerful enough to be a danger to the Temple. The only Force-sensitives were three women conversing with the workers, and they weren't powerful enough to worry a Padawan in even mid-level training, much less one of the Masters or Knights.

_:Arrogant little shit, isn't he?:_ Shar commented snidely.

_:They've been shoveling that 'Chosen One' BS down his throat almost his entire life, so it's kinda expected.:_ Buffy responded. _:He kinda reminds me of this potential named Kennedy who acted the same way.:_

_:What happened to her?:_ Koyi asked.

_:We had to make her a Slayer, and she really got unbearable.:_ Buffy answered dryly. She kept up her end of the verbal conversation with the workers as he approached, and kept her expression carefully blank as she met the objective of her 'mission' for the very first time. After a moment, just enough time to really twist his panties in a bunch, she looked up at him with a cocky lift of her brow. "Y'know, kid, you really don't have to escort us if you don't want to. We _do_ know the way, after all. And even if we didn't, it's not like a Jedi Temple would be all that hard to find."

Anakin flushed as he realized that this woman had sensed his feelings. Swallowing down his embarrassment with some difficulty, he cleared his throat. "I apologize. I have just returned from the battlefield, and it has been...difficult."

"Uh huh." Buffy said dismissively as she stood in a smooth motion. She motioned to Shar and Koyi, and they followed Skywalker out of the hanger to one of the transport pads where an airspeeder was waiting. They had taken off and were speeding through the air when she spoke again.

"How's this little war of yours coming along?" Buffy asked. "You winning?"

"I believe that we are making headway, yes." Anakin glanced over at her. "Don't you fight?"

Buffy shrugged. "Doesn't involve me."

"How can you say that?" He demanded incredulously. "The Separatists are trying to overthrow the Republic. They want to control the galaxy."

"Kid, who rules here isn't important to us in the Outer Rim. We've got our own way of things. You'll come out and toss around new laws, fire off some blasters, then go running right back to you're cushy sky-high homes, and we'll nod to your face and give you the finger behind your back and carry on like we always have."

Anakin didn't know how to react to that. He barely remembered his life on Tatooine. As a child and a slave, his thoughts hadn't gotten further than the day's work, a decent meal, and podracing. After his mother had been killed, he purged all thoughts and considerations for the Outer Rim planet from his thoughts, but he did remember how much trouble Master Qui-Gon had had despite the Republic credentials and status as a Jedi Master.

"If you don't mind, who are you?" Anakin finally asked. "And why are you needed at the Temple."

"Name's Aeryn. I deal in ore and custom weapons and armor." She answered. "I'm here cause I've got news that your Council wants. You're kind of young to be a Knight, aren't you?"

"I'm a bit of a special case." Anakin said, for some reason not wanting to get into it about being the Chosen One. "They kind of reluctantly accepted me even though I was already too old, and my training was sort of accelerated and mostly in the field because of the war."

Buffy nodded. "I can understand that. Where I'm from, I ended up on the front lines of a battlefield at 15, with absolutely no warning at all."

Despite his look of obvious curiosity, that was all she said about her former life, and she turned to look out of her side of the speeder. She had always studiously avoided coming to Coruscant, mostly to stay out of range of the Forces vying for control of the Galaxy, so she took the opportunity to really look around. The whole planet, a city. God, she hoped that Earth never got that stupid.

"So, you gotta name?" She asked as if he wasn't known throughout the galaxy. She heard Shar laughing in her mind as Skywalker's shock rolled over them.

"Oh, um...my name is Anakin." He answered after a moment, flushing slightly. It had been so long since he'd encountered anyone that didn't recognize him on sight that it hadn't even occurred to him to introduce himself. "Anakin Skywalker."

"Skywalker, huh?" Buffy looked at him with a curious expression for a moment, just long enough for him to fight the urge to squirm, before allowing her gaze to turn hard and cold. "So, you're the son of a bitch that left those kids to die?"

Anakin nearly swerved them into oncoming traffic at her statement. None of the women showed any outward reaction as the young man swung them back on course, but Shar did mentally snap at her. _:Sith's balls, Buffy, you couldn't wait until we had our feet on solid ground before doing that?:_

"E-excuse me?" Anakin stuttered, dumbstruck. What could she possible be talking about? What kids? Instantly, the faces of the small group of Padawans that he had left on Jabiim entered him mind, but how could she know about them? Besides, he had felt their deaths. As much as it tore at his heart to know that they were no longer among the living, he accepted that their sacrifices had been necessary and would lead to a better way of life in the galaxy.

"No, I don't think so, Mr. All-Mighty Savior." Buffy responded, not looking at him. "There's no excusing something like that. And you people wonder why I don't like, or trust, the Jedi." Before Anakin could figure out some sort of response, they arrived at the Temple and Buffy and her mates jumped out of the airspeeder, leaving the young man wide-eyed and staring. "Anyway, thanks for the ride."

Anakin watched the strange woman and her two companions follow a Padawan escort into the Temple. As much as he wanted to storm after her and demand an explanation for her words, he found himself unable to move. Once again, he saw the faces of those Padawans that he had left on Jabiim when the Chancellor had told him to prepare for evacuation, but now, he wondered if he had indeed done the right thing.

"Knight Skywalker?" Anakin's thoughts were interrupted by another Padawan, this one not much younger than himself. "There is a communiqué from the Senate requesting your presence."


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"We wish to thank you for the news of the younglings." Mace Windu began, motioning for them to sit. He had opted to meet with them in one of the smaller meeting chambers instead of the council room. As she had previously requested, he also had Master Yoda join them via holographic transmission.

"I'm glad that I got to them when I did." Buffy admitted. "There was a droid patrol not far from where they were holed up, and heading in their direction. It probably wouldn't have been long before they were found and killed."

***Costly turns, this war takes.*** Yoda said. ***Needless deaths, all.***

"That's what happens when powerhouses can't play well together." Buffy said grimly. "Everybody wants things done their way, and it's the little people, the ones that don't care one way or the other, that suffer for it."

"If I may ask," Windu spoke up, not particularly wanting to get into such a discussion at the moment. "what were you doing out there? I was under the impression that you would remain here until we spoke again."

"Your kind are not the only one to get visions." Buffy told them. "For whatever reason, they were supposed to be saved, and I was supposed to save them. I don't ask questions, I just go do it."

***Find the Padawans, where did you?*** Yoda asked.

"Jabiim." Shar answered this time. "And it was a good thing to. We intercepted transmissions saying that the droids had 'kill all' orders."

Master Windu looked surprised. "Jabiim is the planet that Knight Skywalker just returned from. Did you not sense his presence?"

Buffy shrugged, thankful that she'd already considered them asking this question before they'd arrived and spoken with her mates. She didn't want to take the chance that they could sense their mental communications. "There was an old adversary on the planet that I was trying to avoid. I kept my shields up tight so that she wouldn't sense me. She'd have no problems killing those kids just to piss me off."

"You have much Darkness, yet you are a preserver of Life." Windu said thoughtfully. "You are a true mystery."

"Everyone has Darkness in them, Jedi," Buffy said. "even you. It's how you handle that Darkness that counts."

***Wise, you are.*** Yoda commented. ***Yet, to acknowledge that Darkness, the Dark side leads.***

"No, it doesn't." Koyi denied. "Allowing the Darkness to rule you, leads to the Dark side. In the end of things, it is always better to acknowledge what cannot be changed. Darkness resides in each of us. Accepting that it exists is not the same as seeking it out, but to not do so leaves one open for others to take advantage."

It was the closest that they were going to hint at what was happening within their own ranks. As they had walked through the halls, they had sensed that Skywalker wasn't the only one flirting with the Darkness that Jedi teachings was trying so hard to suppress. The others were younger, and with further training, they would no doubt learn to control their emotions, but wartime wasn't best time for such learnings.

***Approached by the Sith, you have been?*** Yoda asked, returning the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"Of course, I have." Buffy answered. "You think you're the only ones that would rather have us with them than against them? I told that to your Council earlier."

The hologram of Master Yoda turned to face Master Windu, who was looking at the triad in blatant surprise. Then his focus turned inward as he recalled the entire scene from beginning to end. "You did." He muttered. "I can not believe that we overlooked that."

"I guess you were too busy trying to decide if you should kill us or not." Buffy snorted derisively.

"Who approached you?" Windu asked, definitely not wanting to go there.

"Old guy called Tyranus and his Girl Friday, name of Asajj Ventress." Buffy told them. "She's more dangerous to you than he is, though. For some reason, she hates the Jedi with a passion, and she's got a real hard-on for Kenobi and the Skywalker kid."

"Excuse me?" Windu was confused. He had never heard such terms before.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "She really, _really_ wants Kenobi and Skywalker dead."

***Anything more, can you tell?*** Yoda asked.

"I work on a need to know basis." Buffy shrugged. "I only know things if or when I'm supposed to actually do something about them. Other than that, I just go about my business."

Like most people, the Jedi Masters immediately filled in their own blanks, assuming that she didn't know anything more than what she'd already told them. It was beyond their experience to think that someone would know the truth of the matter, and do nothing about it.

Buffy stood, her mates joining her a moment later. "Look, I've told you about the kids. We really don't have anything more to talk about, so I think it's time we left."

"Please, remain for the evening." Windu leapt to his feet as well. Even if she would not be an ally to the Jedi, they could not afford her as an enemy. "It is late already. I would like to speak more with you about the issues that you have with our Order, and we would still like to know how you have managed to elude both our Jedi and the Sith for so long. It may be that our enemy is doing the same thing."

_:Maybe he's not as dumb as he looks after all.:_ Shar commented.

~~~ BtVS ~~ Star Wars ~~~

"You wanted to see me, Chancellor." Anakin said as he entered the Chancellor's office.

"Ahh, yes, my boy." Chancellor Palpatine greeted him enthusiastically. "I wanted to make sure that you arrived safely."

"I am fine." Anakin assured him. "There was a minor issue with the leader of the Jabiim army, but I handled it."

Palpatine smile internally, knowing exactly what 'issue' the boy referred to. He had felt Skywalker tapping into the Dark side of the Force.

"What is our status?" He asked.

"I do not believe that Jabiim will be able to hold out much longer, whether the 'kill all' orders are rescinded or not." Anakin told him. "We have won and lost in such equal measures, that we are practically at a stand still with the Separatists."

"What of additional assistance from the Jedi Order?"

"The Order is helping where we can, but our ranks are spread thin. We took a heavy loss at Genosis before Master Yoda's arrival with the clone soldiers."

"Then we shall need to be strategic in our placement." Palpatine said.

When Anakin finally took his leave of the Chancellor, the first thing he did was call his wife.

"Hello, my love." He said to Padmé when she appeared. "How are you?"

"Anny." The sound of her voice and the appearance of her delighted smile soothed some of the tension still knotted in her gut that lingered from the confrontation with the Jabiim soldier and the unsettling words of the women that he'd dropped off at the Temple. The only thing better would have been in she was physically there, but she'd had to return to Naboo to attend to her duties as Senator. However, he still hated that nickname, and scowled, which just made her laugh. "Are you back?"

"For the moment." He nodded. "I'm on Coruscant. I've just left the Chancellor, and will be heading to the Temple, but I wanted to see you. I've missed you."

Padmé looked at him lovingly. "I've missed you, too. I wish that this senseless war was over, so that you could come home to me."

"If it were up to me, I would destroy the Trade Federation completely, but the Chancellor is still hoping for a more peaceful resolution."

If Anakin noticed the unease that crossed his wife's face at his words, he gave no indication. He simply basked in her presence and the sound of her voice. He told her about the strange women that he had escorted to the Temple, and the things that they had said to him. Not about their obvious contempt of himself after they'd found out who he was, of course, but about their feelings towards the Jedi Order and how they hadn't known who he was. Padmé listened, but refrained from offering her opinion. While she loved and trusted in her husband, there were times when even she felt that the instant fame and notoriety within the Jedi ranks had not been healthy for the former slave. They talked for a bit longer, then Anakin reluctantly ended the call, knowing that he had to return to his duties. In truth, he should have gone to the Jedi Council before going to see Palpatine, but he had figured that they would be occupied with the women, and he wanted to be prepared for the questions that he knew they would ask regarding Jabiim.

He did not understand why they couldn't just trust in his judgement, and that of the Chancellor. He was the one out on the front lines of this war, while they remained behind. He stopped himself right there. Taking a deep breath, and shaking the thoughts away as unworthy of his Order, he made his way quickly to the transport area and took off in his speeder.


End file.
